Russia opens legal case against Gazprom branch in Western Siberia for breaching antitrust laws

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has opened a legal case against a branch of energy titan Gazprom, accusing it of reducing fuel sales volumes on the Saint-Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX).

This development has been announced in a press statement by the federal agency, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

The case focuses on Gazprom GNP Sales, the operator of the Surgut Condensate Stabilisation Plant, which produces gasoline and diesel fuel. The unit is being accused of having reduced the volume of gasoline issued for sale on the stock exchange, which specialises in commodities trading like refined products, crude oil, gas, coal, timber and other goods, for the domestic market between May 20 and June 27.

According to the agency's statement, sales of the AI-92 gasoline type dropped by 74% while sales volumes for AI-95 fell by 50%.

The federal agency also reported that Gazprom GNP Sales was buying gasoline from other oil companies, which limited other consumers from purchasing those goods. FAS emphasised that such actions are unacceptable during periods of seasonal and increased demand and indicate potential violations of antitrust laws.

The federal agency revealed that it had contacted the Gazprom branch on June 17 with a request to provide an explanation for the reduction in sales volumes on the exchange platform within 10 days, which it failed to deliver.

The Surgut CSP is the largest plant processing gas condensate in Russia and the largest enterprise of the Tyumen region in Western Siberia for the processing of a hydrocarbon raw material. The plant processes the oil-gas condensate mix that is sourced from the North of the Tyumen region and delivers the following goods: automobile gasolines, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, liquefied gases, distillate of gas condensate, light and stable condensate.

By Nazrin Sadigova