A new local partner promises access to a lucrative concession. He has the right connections, speaks confidently about the regulator and asks for a "success fee" paid through a company in a third country. Six months later, the concession is under review, and questions are being asked about who that success fee actually reached.
The energy sector combines large contracts, government relationships, remote operations and valuable physical assets. That mix creates high exposure to corruption, fraud, theft and partner risk. Our energy sector investigation services help oil and gas companies, power producers, renewable developers, traders, service contractors and investors vet partners, investigate wrongdoing and protect assets. As an international investigation firm headquartered in Dubai and backed by the 30+ years of GREVESGROUP®, we investigate in more than 100 countries, including many of the world's major energy-producing regions.
Investigation Challenges in Energy
- Corruption risk in licensing, concessions, permits and state-owned counterparts
- Agents and intermediaries with undisclosed links to officials
- Procurement and contract fraud, including inflated contracts and fake subcontractors
- Fuel and product theft from pipelines, depots, tankers and retail networks
- Counterfeit lubricants and adulterated fuels sold under genuine brands
- Sanctions exposure in trading, shipping and partner relationships
- Project and investment risk in renewable and infrastructure developments
Our Investigation Services for Energy
Due Diligence
Our oil and gas due diligence and third-party due diligence for energy companies vet joint venture partners, agents, consultants, contractors, offtakers and trading counterparties. We identify beneficial owners, links to politically exposed persons, sanctions exposure, litigation and reputation, using in-country source enquiries where records are limited. Renewable energy due diligence supports developers and investors checking local partners, landowners and project sponsors.
Corporate Investigation
When allegations arise, our anti-corruption investigations in energy establish whether improper payments were made, how they were routed and who was involved. We also investigate procurement fraud, bid rigging, collusion between staff and contractors and inflated invoicing on projects and operations.
Private Investigation
Our fuel theft investigations examine losses from pipelines, storage depots, tanker fleets and retail stations, identifying diversion points, the people involved and the buyers of stolen product. Lawful surveillance and market enquiries support these cases.
Brand Protection
Counterfeit lubricants and adulterated fuels sold under genuine brands damage engines, reputations and sales. We monitor markets, conduct test purchases, trace suppliers and support enforcement action.
IP Investigation
We investigate trademark infringement against lubricant and fuel brands, copied packaging and infringement of patented technologies and equipment designs.
Background Check
We screen senior hires, country managers, procurement staff and those with authority over contracts and government relationships, including checks for conflicts of interest and undisclosed business interests.
Claim Investigation
We support insurers and energy companies on property damage, equipment breakdown, cargo loss and business interruption claims, verifying the cause and scale of loss.
Process Service
Disputes with partners, contractors and counterparties often end in international arbitration or litigation. We serve notices, claims and awards internationally with court-ready proof, and trace parties who have moved.
Managing Intermediary and Partner Risk
In many energy markets, working through local agents and partners is a commercial necessity. It is also where most corruption cases start. Regulators under the US FCPA, the UK Bribery Act and local laws expect companies to know who their intermediaries are, who owns them and whether they have links to the officials who make decisions. Our investigators answer those questions with evidence, including discreet enquiries that surface relationships not visible in any registry. The result is a defensible record that you took reasonable steps before engaging a third party.
Asset Protection in Remote Operations
Energy assets are often in remote or insecure areas, far from head office oversight. Product theft, equipment theft and diversion can run for months before being detected. Our in-country investigators work where the assets are, combining site visits, community sources and market enquiries to identify how losses happen and who benefits.
Sanctions and Trading Risk
Oil, gas and petroleum products trading is heavily affected by international sanctions. Hidden ownership, ship-to-ship transfers and complex trading chains can expose counterparties to serious penalties. Our compliance-focused due diligence helps traders, shippers and financiers identify sanctioned parties and hidden links, so they can decide whether and how a transaction can proceed lawfully.
Organisations We Support
Oil and gas producers, refiners and distributors, oilfield service contractors, power producers and utilities, renewable energy developers, commodity traders, lubricant and fuel brands, energy investors and lenders, and the law firms that advise them.
Typical Engagements
The scenarios below are illustrative examples of the kind of work we carry out in this sector.
Agent vetting
Before appointing a sales agent for a national oil company tender, a contractor asks us to vet the agent. We find a family link to a tender committee member, and the appointment does not proceed.
Depot losses
A distributor's fuel depot shows persistent volume losses. Investigation identifies a tanker driver network selling diverted product to independent stations.
Counterfeit lubricants
A lubricant brand finds fake products in auto parts markets. We trace the product to a blending unit refilling used containers, supporting a raid.
Renewable project partner
An investor checks the local sponsor of a solar project and finds unresolved land disputes that need to be settled before financial close.
Contractor overbilling
An operator's maintenance costs at one site are well above comparable sites. We find that the main subcontractor is owned through a nominee by the site's maintenance manager, and that invoiced crews were never mobilised.
What You Receive
Clear, sourced reports with risk ratings, ownership charts, identified red flags, evidence of wrongdoing where found and practical recommendations.
How We Work with Energy Clients
We work with compliance, legal, security, procurement, trading and investment teams. Many clients use us for a steady flow of third-party checks under agreed due diligence levels, and call on us for investigations when allegations or losses arise. Every engagement starts with a confidential briefing, a written scope and agreed reporting points, and our reports are written to sit in your compliance file.
Why Energy Companies Choose Risk Investigators
High-risk market experience
Investigators working in difficult jurisdictions with limited records.
Compliance-grade reporting
Findings that support anti-corruption and sanctions compliance.
Asset protection
Field investigation where your assets are.
Group experience
GREVESGROUP® has conducted investigations for more than 30 years.
Discretion
Sensitive enquiries into partners and officials are handled without alerting the subject.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is third-party due diligence in the energy sector?
It is an investigation of agents, partners, contractors and consultants before engagement, covering ownership, links to officials, sanctions exposure, litigation and reputation, to manage corruption and compliance risk.
Can you identify links between an agent and government officials?
Yes. Through records research and discreet source enquiries, we identify family, business and political relationships that are not visible in public registries.
How do you investigate fuel theft?
We analyse loss patterns, investigate staff, drivers and contractors, conduct site visits and market enquiries, and identify diversion points and buyers of stolen product.
Do you investigate counterfeit lubricants?
Yes. We monitor markets, carry out test purchases, trace sources and support enforcement against counterfeit lubricant and fuel producers.
Do you conduct due diligence on renewable energy projects?
Yes. We vet project sponsors, local partners and landowners, and check for disputes, regulatory issues and reputational risks before investment.
Can you help with sanctions screening of trading counterparties?
Yes. We investigate ownership and links of trading counterparties, vessels and intermediaries to identify sanctions exposure, and all work is conducted lawfully.
Do you investigate procurement fraud on energy projects?
Yes. We investigate inflated contracts, bid rigging, fake subcontractors and collusion between staff and contractors.
Can you verify contractors before they are added to our vendor list?
Yes. Contractor due diligence verifies registration, ownership, capability, safety and litigation history, and checks for conflicts of interest with your staff.
Do you investigate theft of equipment and cables from energy sites?
Yes. We investigate theft of equipment, cable and metals from remote sites, identify the people and receivers involved and support recovery and police action.
Do you work for energy investors and lenders?
Yes. We investigate project sponsors, partners and counterparties for funds, banks and development lenders before financing decisions.