OREANDA-NEWS. On May 18, 2007 the Moscow Arbitration Court confirmed validity of the FAS Russia's decision to dismiss the petition of "Gaspromregiongas" on purchasing 100% shares of "Kogalymgas" OJSC, reported the press-centre of  FAS Russia.
FAS Russia established that "Kogalymgas" OJSC is an independent distributor - currently 100% shares of "Kogalymgas" belong to the Khanty-Mansiisky Autonomous Okrug [District].
Currently consumers in Kogalym also receive gas from the reserves of an independent supplier - "LUKOIL - Zapadnaya Sibir' [West Siberia]" Ltd.
The antimonopoly authority concluded that purchasing by "Gaspromregiongas" 100% shares of "Kogalymgas" OJSC would result in restricting competition on the local gas market due to the threat of substituting the independent supplier with the gas supplied by "Gasprom" OJSC.
Therefore, FAS Russia dismissed the petition of "Gaspromregiongas" on purchasing 100% shares of "Kogalymgas".
The company disagreed with the decision of the antimonopoly authority and appealed to the Moscow Arbitration Court. The Court, however, found the "Gaspromregiongas" arguments unjustified and, therefore, confirmed validity of the FAS Russia's decision.
Earlier, the Moscow Arbitration Court also confirmed the rightness of the refusal of the antimonopoly authority to grant the petition of "Gaspromregiongas" on purchasing controlling block of shares of a gas distributing organization - "Gas Service" OJSC.
The Court agreed with FAS Russia that the transaction might lead to restricting competition on the regional market of gas sales.