BELGRADE, March 12 (Reuters) - Serbia's Russian-owned

NIS oil company has sought another sanctions waiver

from the U.S. to allow crude imports while it awaits the

completion of a sale to Hungary's MOL, the company

said on Thursday.

NIS operates Serbia's only oil refinery in the northern town

of Pancevo, and supplies 80% of the Balkan country's fuel needs.

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed

sanctions on NIS in October as part of broader measures

targeting Russia's energy sector over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Last December, OFAC gave NIS until March 24 to negotiate the

sale of majority stakes held by Russia's Gazprom Neft

and Gazprom. It also granted a waiver allowing NIS to

import crude that expires on March 20.

"The request (to OFAC) emphasises the importance of the

company's regular operations for the (Serbian) economy,

especially in light of global developments and the situation on

the world oil market, and points to advanced negotiations to

change NIS's ownership structure," NIS said in a statement.

On January 19, MOL said it had signed a binding agreement with

Russian companies to buy their stake in NIS. Gazprom and Gazprom

Neft hold 11.3% and 44.9% stakes in NIS, respectively. The

Serbian government has a 29.9% stake, while the remainder

belongs to small shareholders and employees.

Kazakhstan was Serbia's largest crude supplier last year,

accounting for nearly 60% of imports, followed by Nigeria and

Guyana. Iraq was previously the main supplier with over 50% in

2022, but that situation changed due to market conditions. All

imported crude arrives via tankers to the Croatian island of Krk

and is then transported through the JANAF pipeline.