RusEnergy

 RBC, 17.03.2005, Moscow 15:26:07.LUKoil and Sibneft are likely to be fined for their cartel agreements in the regions, Igor Artemyev, federal antimonopoly service chief, has stated today at a government meeting. He mentioned that a criminal case had been opened against LUKoil in the Stavropol region, and one against Sibneft in the Omsk region. Furthermore, Igor Artemyev observed that a case against YUKOS had been launched in the Krasnoyarsk region, where the company was fined USD2.5m for a cartel agreement. The antimonopoly chief believes LUKoil and Sibneft should also be fined. In early February, Artemyev stated that last year the antimonopoly service instituted more cases against oil companies that in the previous 5 years, and won a number of actions despite the difficulties of proving cartel agreements and concerted actions. Artemyev also pointed to the difference in penalties imposed on oil companies in Russia and abroad. He believes that if the Russian penalties were comparable to the European ones, an oil company could be fined USD250m for a one-time offence.