Introduction — Why 95% of Buyers Fail Refinery Compliance Before SPA or POP

Refinery compliance is the main barrier between buyers and real petroleum supply.
Most buyers never reach:

• A real refinery

• A real mandate

• A real title holder

• A real POP

• A real tank allocation

…because they fail compliance before the refinery even considers issuing an SCO or SPA.

Real refineries reject buyers because:

• KYC is incomplete

• Company legitimacy is unclear

• Buyer cannot prove payment capacity

• Buyer does not follow correct procedures

• Buyer does not understand refinery protocol

• Buyer tries to negotiate prohibited steps (e.g., POP before POF)

• Buyer behaves like a broker, not a corporate entity

This article explains exactly:

• What refinery compliance REALLY is

• The requirements refineries impose on buyers

• What documents must be prepared

• Mistakes that trigger instant rejection

• How to structure a refinery-ready buyer profile

• The timeline and operational logic refineries use

• How to pass compliance on the first attempt

This is the 2025 definitive guide for any serious buyer.

SECTION 1 — Understanding the Context: How Refinery Compliance Works

1.1 Refineries Operate Like Banks (Strict, Non-Negotiable Rules)

Refineries follow:

• FATF AML rules

• Basel III risk frameworks

• Sanctions screening (OFAC/EU/UN)

• Corporate compliance oversight

• Terminal access rules

• KYC/UBO verification protocols

• Internal refinery anti-fraud screening

Meaning:

👉 Refinery compliance is 100% non-negotiable.
👉 Refineries must protect their allocation, tanks, and security.
👉 Anything suspicious = automatic rejection.

1.2 Refineries Are Targeted by Fraud Every Day

Common refinery threats:

• Fake buyers

• Fake mandates

• Fake POP requests

• Tank poaching attempts

• Buyers without financial capacity

• Broker chains pretending to be principals

Thus refineries protect themselves by enforcing strict compliance standards.

1.3 Refinery Compliance Happens BEFORE Any Real Document Is Released

Real refinery flow:

1. Buyer KYC

2. Compliance screening

3. POF verification (soft or bank-to-bank)

4. SPA issuance

5. POP release

6. DTA

7. DIP test

8. MT103 / LC / SBLC

9. Injection or loading

If you fail steps 1–3 → you will NEVER see real POP or DTA.

SECTION 2 — Full A–Z Explanation: What Refineries Require From Buyers

Below is the exact refinery requirement list for 2025.

1. Complete Corporate KYC (Mandatory)

Refinery must identify the real buyer.
KYC must include:

✔ Certificate of Incorporation
✔ Company extract / registry
✔ Shareholder structure (UBO identification)
✔ Passport(s) of UBO(s)
✔ Tax registration (TIN / VAT)
✔ Corporate resolution (if needed)
✔ Proof of corporate address
✔ Website + domain email

If ANY element is missing → refinery rejects.

2. Corporate Profile (Professionally Structured)

Refinery expects:

• Company overview (2–6 pages)

• Industry activity

• Fuel consumption or distribution capacity

• Geographic presence

• Key clients (generic, no sensitive details)

• Corporate governance

• Organizational structure

• Contact details

A buyer that looks like a one-man operation = immediate rejection.

3. Proof of Funds Readiness (SOFT or SWIFT)

Refineries DO NOT accept:

• Screenshots

• PDF bank statements

• Fake POF documents

• WhatsApp “proof”

Refineries accept:

✔ RWA (Ready, Willing & Able letter)
✔ BCL (Bank Comfort Letter)
✔ MT799 (Bank-to-bank readiness message)
✔ SBLC MT760
✔ LC MT700 (CIF)

If a buyer cannot pass POF verification → refinery cannot proceed.

4. Clear Transaction Intent (No Confusion)

Buyer MUST define:

• Product: EN590, Jet A1, etc.

• Quantity & contract length

• Incoterm (FOB, CIF, TTT, TTV)

• Delivery port (Rotterdam, Houston, Fujairah)

• Payment method (MT103, LC, SBLC)

• Procedure (must align with refinery protocol)

Any confusion → refinery rejects.

5. Zero Broker Chain Behavior

Refinery compliance rejects buyers who:

• Change email every few days

• Use WhatsApp as primary communication

• Mix procedures (TTT + CIF + FOB in one ICPO)

• Submit ICPO not matching KYC

• Cannot explain their supply chain

• Use free email domains

Institutional buyers behave like institutions.

6. Internal Compliance Screening

Refinery checks:

• Sanctions lists

• AML risk

• Corporate risk level

• Beneficial ownership

• Bank reputation

• Market behavior history

• Past transaction failures

If buyer triggers ANY red flag → refinery closes the file.

SECTION 3 — NNRV Expert Analysis: Why Buyers Fail Refinery Compliance

3.1 Buyers Do Not Prepare a Clean Profile

Most buyers send:

• Low-quality documents

• Incomplete KYC

• Messy ICPO

• Gmail emails

• No website

• No corporate structure

• No financial readiness

Refinery sees this → instant rejection.

3.2 Buyers Ask for Things That Violate Refinery Protocol

Buyers ask for:

• POP before SPA

• DIP test before POP

• DTA before POF

• Tank numbers before KYC

• Editable documents

Refinery sees this → automatic rejection.

3.3 Buyers Cannot Pass POF Verification

Refineries accept only bank-issued POF.

Anything outside SWIFT → rejected.

3.4 Buyers Behave Like Brokers

Red flags:

• “My mandate will send KYC”

• “We have 100M immediately available”

• “We want direct to refinery only”

• “We need discount price sellers”

Refineries reject because brokers create fraud risks.

3.5 Buyers Don’t Understand Procedures

If buyer cannot explain:

• TTT

• TTV

• FOB

• CIF

• DTA

• DIP test

• POP sequence

• MT799 / MT103 logic

Refinery marks them as “non-institutional”.

SECTION 4 — Step-by-Step: How to Pass Refinery Compliance (Day 1–14)

📅 Day 1 — Prepare Complete Corporate KYC

All corporate documents aligned.

📅 Day 2 — Structure a Professional Corporate Profile

Institutional 2–6 pages.

📅 Day 3 — Prepare Bank Readiness

Request RWA/BCL from your bank.

📅 Day 4 — Align ICPO With KYC

All details must match perfectly.

📅 Day 5 — Submit Buyer KYC Package

Refinery begins screening.

📅 Day 6–8 — Refinery Compliance Review

Sanctions screening, UBO check, AML review.

📅 Day 8–10 — POF Verification

Bank officer contact may be required.

📅 Day 10–14 — Approval → SPA Issuance

Refinery authorizes SPA → then POP.

If ANY of these steps fail → refinery closes file permanently.

SECTION 5 — Buyer & Seller Questions (20 Total)

10 Buyer Questions

1. Why do refineries reject buyers so quickly?

2. Why must ICPO match KYC?

3. Can I pass compliance without POF? (No)

4. Why must I use company domain email?

5. Why can’t I ask for POP early?

6. Do refineries accept escrow? (Rarely)

7. Can I pass refinery compliance with SBLC? (Yes)

8. Is TTT safer than FOB for refinery compliance? (Yes)

9. Why does refinery need UBO details?

10. Can NNRV prepare my compliance pack? (Yes)

10 Seller Questions

1. Should I accept buyers using Gmail? (No)

2. Should I issue SCO without buyer KYC? (No)

3. Should I accept incomplete corporate documents? (No)

4. When should I release POP?

5. Which buyers are highest risk?

6. Should I request MT799 before SPA? (Depends on protocol)

7. What if buyer refuses bank readiness?

8. Can refinery reject buyer after SPA? (Yes)

9. How to handle buyers asking for fake procedures?

10. Can NNRV filter buyers for me? (Yes)

SECTION 6 — Institutional Proof & Compliance Standards

Refinery requirements follow:

• FATF AML Guidelines

• Basel III Banking Rules

• OFAC/EU Sanctions Compliance

• International Chamber of Commerce

• ISPS Port Rules

• SGS/Intertek/Saybolt Q&Q standards

• Refinery internal KYC policies

These are the global petroleum standards used by:

• Vitol

• Trafigura

• Gunvor

• Glencore

• Mercuria

• Shell

• TotalEnergies

SECTION 7 — Professional Call to Action (CTA)

📌 Need to Pass Refinery Compliance for EN590/Jet A1?

NNRV Trade Partners provides:

• Full refinery-compliant KYC structuring

• Professional corporate profile creation

• POF structuring (RWA/BCL/MT799)

• SPA & POP alignment

• Buyer due diligence enhancement

• Compliance risk screening

• Complete security against rejection

📩 info@nnrvtradepartners.com
🌐 www.nnrvtradepartners.com

Mini FAQ (5 Key Questions)

1. Can I pass refinery compliance without POF?
   No — impossible.

2. Do refineries accept buyers without websites?
   Almost never.

3. Can I pass compliance with generic email?
   No — domain email required.

4. What is the most important document?
   Clean KYC matched with ICPO.

5. Can NNRV prepare a refinery-ready profile for me?
   Yes — turnkey service.

Why Choose NNRV Trade Partners?

• Institutional petroleum compliance mastery

• Expertise in refinery protocols

• Zero-fraud buyer preparation

• Direct understanding of operational refinery logic

• End-to-end compliance support

• Global buyer and seller representation

• Confidential & secure