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United States House legislators seek antitrust probe of OPEC and oil companies

A group of Democratic U.S. Home lawmakers asked the Justice Department on Tuesday to probe accusations of antitrust behavior among U.S. oil producers and OPEC and said the two largest U.S oil companies have actually been conspiring to keep fuel costs high.

Nine Legislature Democrats, in a letter to Attorney General Of The United States Merrick Garland, pointed out a problem by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in May declaring the former CEO of Pioneer Resources took part in an outrageous scheme ... to coordinate rates between U.S. oil companies and foreign manufacturers.

The letter, led by Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on your house Judiciary Committee, also pointed out the huge profits earned last year by Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron, the 2 biggest U.S. oil business.

Major oil manufacturers seem colluding with each other and foreign cartels to keep rates high, padding their revenues at the expense of American consumers, the lawmakers said.

We advise you to utilize the complete authority of the Department of Justice to examine and, where necessary, prosecute this anticompetitive conduct, the letter stated.

On Exxon and Chevron, the legislators stated the oil giants had obviously been lining their own pockets while conspiring to keep costs high instead of passing those profits through to consumers in the kind of more affordable products.

Exxon stated the FTC's accusations are entirely irregular with how we do business.

Chevron did not immediately react to an ask for remark.

The Company of the Petroleum Exporting Countries likewise did not right away react to a request for remark.

In addition to Nadler, the letter was signed by Henry Jackson, Pramila Jayapal and seven other Democrats.

Last month, the FTC approved Exxon Mobil's $60 billion purchase of Leader Natural Resources, however disallowed previous Leader CEO Scott Sheffield from Exxon's board on claims he tried to conspire with OPEC to raise oil rates.

Late last month, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 22 of his Democratic colleagues sent out a similar letter to Garland.

Sheffield collaborated efforts with U.S. shale oil producers to constrain their output and raise energy costs, the FTC stated on May 2.

Sheffield, known for his long period and frank comments on market output and spending, utilized his influence to align oil production throughout the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico with OPEC+, a production group that consists of Russia as well as OPEC members, the FTC stated at the time.

Sheffield's attorneys have actually described remarks made last month, when Sheffield asked the FTC to dismiss the restriction. At no time did federal government authorities and Mr. Sheffield exchange competitively delicate information, said Sheffield's counsel Cleary Gottlieb Steen & & Hamilton.

(source: Reuters)