OREANDA-NEWS. November 10, 2008. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (OFAS Russia) in the Kemerovo region fined "Gazpromneft - Kuzbass" CJSC 158 159 643.70 Rubles for abusing dominant position on the market of wholesale sale of oil products, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Earlier the Kemerovo OFAS Russia recognized that "Gazpromneft - Kuzbass" CJSC violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition", which prohibits abusing dominant position by an economic entity.

The company violated the law by creating obstacles for operations of other economic entities on the wholesale market of oil products, as well as fixing different prices for oil products, which was economically, technologically and otherwise ungrounded. In April-June 2008, the company unreasonably increased wholesale prices for oil products sold en route and at the company's petroleum storage depots.

At the same time "Gazpromneft - Kuzbass" CJSC only slightly increased retail prices at the company's petrol stations, which resulted in similar level of retail and wholesale prices. For some oil products wholesale prices even exceeded the retail prices.

Under Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations, "Gazpromneft - Kuzbass" CJSC was made administratively liable for abusing dominant position and fined 2.4% of the net sales in 2007.