OREANDA-NEWS. April 29, 2011. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) and its regional bodies are going to conduct integrated inspections in order to establish what has caused shortage of diesel fuel in Russian provinces and growth of prices at refuelling stations. The purpose of these inspections is to expose the facts of collusions and abuses of market dominance at the federal and regional markets in the Russian Federation, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Jointly with its regional offices, the antimonopoly authority will inspect facilities of vertically-integrated oil companies, oil refineries and independent refuelling stations upon the facts of creating shortage and sharp increase of prices for motor fuel. In particular, FAS will request “Lukoil” OJSC, “Gazprom Neft” OJSC, “TNK-BP Holding” OJSC, “NK Rosneft” OJSC, “Surgutneftegaz” OJSC, “Tatneft” OJSC, “NK Alliance” OJSC and “Bahsneft” ANK” OJSC to provide explanations about the causes of product shortage in some Russian provinces.

Should the facts of artificially creating shortage and unreasonably increasing prices on regional wholesale and retail markets be revealed, the regional offices of FAS Russia will initiate cases upon the signs of violating the antimonopoly law against wholesale, small-scale wholesale and retail sellers of oil products.

FAS Russia has informed the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation about the situation on the market of oil products.