Lukoil wins two anti-monopoly cases

Russian oil company Lukoil said it won two separate appeals on charges brought by regional branches of Russia’s Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS). The Perm Krai Arbitration Court overturned a charge against Lukoil brought by the regional branch of FAS, Lukoil said in a statement. The anti-monopoly regulator claims the Perm Krai oil product arm of Lukoil, Lukoil Permnefteprodukt, “without an economic or technological grounding” cut retail sales of traditional regular gasoline RON-92, premium RON-95, and diesel and increased retail sales of Lukoil’s own EKTO brand of fuels for the same grades. The EKTO brand, which Lukoil says stands for ecological fuel, is fuel that includes detergent and anti-corrosion additives. Separately, Lukoil said it won an appeal in the 13th Arbitration Appellate Court in St. Petersburg. The 13th Arbitration Appellate Court upheld an earlier appeal won by Lukoil, which overturned an order by FAS to discontinue a joint venture operating a fuel station at Pulkovo Airport. (February 3, 2010)