FAS: “GAZPROM MEZHREGIONGAZ OMSK” VIOLATED THE ANTIMONOPOLY LAW
The company was imposing disadvantageous conditions of gas supply contract upon a consumer
The antimonopoly case was opened upon a statement of “Omskugletekhugol” Ltd. (the gas consumer) about actions of “Gazprom Mehregiongas Omsk” Ltd.1 (the gas supplier) that had been imposing disadvantageous conditions of gas supply contracts. The deadline set for approving adjustment of the natural gas volume, planed for consumption in the next month, prevented “Omskugleetekhugol” Ltd. from buying gas on-exchange.
“Gazprom Mehregiongas Omsk” Ltd. specified that monthly gas supply volumes must be adjusted before the date of on-exchange trading with natural gas for front-month contracts at “SPIMEX” JSC2.
Therefore, the gas supplier, imposing the condition on ability to change the scope of gas consumption а in the next month before the date of the monthly treading, deprives the gas consumer of a possibility to purchase gas on-exchange.
In the absence of a possibility for “Omskugleetekhugol” Ltd. to purchase gas on-exchange, the consumer will be forced to buy the entire volume from “Gazprom Mehregiongas Omsk” Ltd.
On 15 January 2019, the antimonopoly body found that “Gazprom Mehregiongas Omsk” Ltd. violated the law on “Protection of Competition”.
Notes:
1 “Gazprom Mehregiongas Omsk” Ltd. is a members of the group of persons of “Gazprom” PJSC and is the largest on-exchange seller of natural gas.
2 “SPIMEX” JSC (St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange) is the largest commodities exchange in the Russian Federation.