14-04-00 The Russian Anti-Trust Ministry said that it had decided to start a review of Gazprom's position in the gas-processing industry. The natural gas monopoly's apparent control of Sibur, which owns more than half of Russia's gas-processing plants, may give it the ability to set unfair terms for its gas-processing services, ministry officials said. Gazprom affiliates acquired control of Sibur last year.
As such, anti-trust experts will investigate the situation, they said. If it is determined that Gazprom has set unfavourable terms for use of Sibur's gas-processing facilities, they stated, the government will initiate a court action against the natural monopoly company.
The ministry decided to stage the investigation after several oil producers complained that Sibur had refused to process gas for companies competing with Gazprom for a share of the Russian gas market. The producers have taken their case to court, saying that Sibur was pushing them to sell associated gas extracted from oil fields and refined gas products at artificially low prices to Gazprom, which then sold the processed gas and products abroad at higher prices.