According to the agency, citing documents, the new operator, Sakhalin Energy LLC, sent instructions to customers to pay in US dollars through Gazprombank, and not through foreign banks, as before.

Another option for making payments is through the Russian division of Raiffeisen, but the option with Gazprombank is preferable.

At least two LNG buyers are already investigating whether payments through Gazprombank would violate sanctions, agency sources said.

Earlier, Russia sent an official notification to a number of Japanese companies about the transfer of the Sakhalin-2 project to a new operator.