OREANDA-NEWS. September 27, 2010. Omsk Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (OFAS Russia) found that “Gazpromneft” OJSC violated the antimonopoly law, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia. 

In March 2010, Omsk OFAS Russia initiated a case against “Gazpromneft” OJSC based upon its analysis of competitive environment on the market of wholesale distribution and sale of furnace fuel oil in 2008 and the first six months of 2009.

Analysis completed by the antimonopoly body showed that from January to August 2008 ex-works prices for furnace fuel oil of “Gazpromneft” OJSC increased by 40.9%, from January to June 2009– by 3.7times and by the end of 2009 - by more than 65.5 times.

Having investigated the case, the Commission of Omsk OFAS Russia found that “Gazpromneft” OJSC abused market dominance and violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”. In 2009 the company unreasonably increased prices for furnace fuel oil (grade ТКМ – 16) on the market of wholesale distribution of furnace fuel oil within geographic boundaries of the Omsk region without any economic or technological reasons, which infringed the interests of consumers of furnace fuel oil.

“In this case reference to increasing world prices for oil and fuel oil should be ignored simply because the rate of growth on global markets was much lower”, explained the Head of Omsk OFAS Russia Sergey Sumenkov.