OREANDA-NEWS. 1st August 2008 was the deadline set for the oil companies - "Lukoil" OJSC, "Gazprom Neft" OJSC, "TNK-BP Holding" OJSC, "Rosneft" Oil Company" OJSC and "Surgutneftegaz" OJSC - which were requested to present the information requested by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) to investigate the cases initiated for violating Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition", reported the press-centre of FAS Russia. 

Only "Surgutneftegaz" OJSC met the deadline and presented the information required for antimonopoly investigation.

On 4-5th August 2008, FAS Russia exercised inspection procedures towards "Lukoil" OJSC, "Gazprom Neft" OJSC, "TNK-BP Holding" OJSC and "Rosneft" Oil Company" OJSC in order to obtain the necessary information. The inspections were carried out jointly with the Russian Ministry of Interior.

Under the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations, failure to present information required by FAS Russia to conclude an antimonopoly case is an offence endangering public administration. Therefore FAS Russia is considering imposing administrative charges on the companies as well as their responsible officials.

"Lukoil" OJSC, "Gazprom Neft" OJSC, "TNK-BP Holding" OJSC, "Rosneft" Oil Company" OJSC and "Surgutneftegaz" OJSC abused their dominant position by fixing monopolistically high prices on the wholesale fuel markets in the Russian Federation, as well as by creating discriminatory conditions for the buyers on wholesale markets.