Latest News

Schumer asks DOJ to examine FTC claim oil exec conspired with OPEC

U.S. Senate Bulk Leader Chuck Schumer and 22 other Democratic Senators on Thursday asked the Chief law officer to investigate accusations of collusion and cost fixing between the oil market and the Company of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Previously in May, the Federal Trade Commission provided the consent to Exxon Mobil's $60 billion purchase of Leader Natural Resources, however disallowed former Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield from Exxon's board on allegations he attempted to collude with OPEC to raise oil rates.

These reports are alarming and lend credence to the fear that corporate avarice is keeping rates artificially high, the senators said in a letter to Attorney general of the United States Merrick Garland and his antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter.

We for that reason advise the Department of Justice to investigate the oil market, to hold liable any responsible stars, and to end any unlawful activities, the letter stated.

Sheffield coordinated efforts with U.S. shale oil producers to constrain their output and raise energy rates, the Federal Trade Commission stated on May 2.

Commonly thought about the dean of U.S. shale since of his long period and blunt talk about market output and costs, Sheffield used his impact to align oil production throughout the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico with OPEC+, the FTC added at the time.

Sheffield's lawyers did not immediately react to a request for remark.

Earlier today, he asked the FTC to dismiss the ban. At. no time at all did federal government officials and Mr. Sheffield exchange. competitively delicate info, said Sheffield's counsel. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & & Hamilton.

(source: Reuters)