Moroccan courts prosecute nine oil companies, including TotalEnergies

The Moroccan justice system is investigating 9 oil companies, including TotalEnergies, for anti-competitive practices in the distribution of hydrocarbons. Suspected price fixing.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

The Moroccan courts are prosecuting nine oil companies, including TotalEnergies, for anti-competitive practices in the distribution of hydrocarbons, according to the Conseil de la Concurrence.

Antitrust investigation: Moroccan courts take legal action against nine oil companies via the Competition Council

“A notification of grievances has been sent to nine companies operating in the supply, storage and distribution of diesel and gasoline, as well as to their trade associations”, states the press release from the Conseil de la Concurrence’s general rapporteur.

“The investigating departments consider that they have sufficient evidence of the existence of anti-competitive practices committed by the parties in question”, adds the Council.

The notification of grievances initiates the adversarial investigation procedure, enabling the parties to exercise their rights of defense. In a press release, TotalEnergies Marketing Maroc, a company listed on the Casablanca stock exchange, confirmed that it had received a notification of grievances from the French Competition Council.

The company, which is listed on the Casablanca stock exchange, is “cooperating fully with the Competition Council’s investigating departments and is preparing the appropriate responses”, its press release emphasizes.

Politico-economic tensions: TotalEnergies Marketing affair and alleged cartel in Morocco

The third largest distributor of petroleum products and services in the Maghreb, TotalEnergies Marketing has an estimated market share of 15%. This affair — which has caused much ink to flow in Morocco — dates back to February 2020. At the time, the French competition authority concluded that the three dominant oil companies in the market – the French giant, Afriquia and Vivo Energy, Shell’s exclusive distributor in Morocco – had colluded, and imposed financial penalties.

But the affair has taken a more political turn, since Afriquia, Morocco’s market leader in hydrocarbons, is owned by the current head of government and businessman Aziz Akhannouch. With no hydrocarbons, Morocco imports all its petroleum product needs. After subsidizing fuels for a long time, the country liberalized the sector in 2015, leaving importers free to set fuel prices at the pump.

Since then, fuel importers have considerably increased their margins. Above all, prices remain virtually unchanged from one station to the next, fuelling criticism and suspicions of price-fixing.

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on more than 50 entities linked to Iranian oil exports, targeting Chinese refineries and vessels registered in Asia and Africa.
Khartoum et Juba annoncent un mécanisme commun pour protéger les oléoducs transfrontaliers, sans clarifier le rôle des forces armées non étatiques qui contrôlent une partie des installations.
The Namibian government signed an agreement with McDermott to strengthen local skills in offshore engineering and operations, aiming to increase oil sector local content to 15% by 2030.
Nigeria deploys a 2.2 million-barrel floating storage unit funded by public investment, strengthening sovereignty over oil exports and reducing losses from theft and infrastructure failures.
Despite open statements of dialogue, the federal government maintains an ambiguous regulatory framework that hinders interprovincial oil projects, leaving the industry in doubt.
Canada’s Sintana Energy acquires Challenger Energy in a $61mn all-share deal, targeting offshore exploration in Namibia and Uruguay. The move highlights growing consolidation among independent oil exploration firms.
The 120,000-barrel-per-day catalytic cracking unit at the Beaumont site resumed operations after an unexpected shutdown caused by a technical incident earlier in the week.
An agreement was reached between Khartoum and Juba to protect key oil installations, as ongoing armed conflict continues to threaten crude flows vital to both economies.
Alnaft has signed two study agreements with Omani firm Petrogas E&P on the Touggourt and Berkine basins, aiming to update hydrocarbon potential in key oil-producing areas.
Import quotas exhaustion and falling demand push Chinese independent refineries to sharply reduce Iranian crude volumes, affecting supply levels and putting downward pressure on prices.
Serbian oil company NIS, partially owned by Gazprom, faces newly enforced US sanctions after a nine-month reprieve, testing the country's fuel supply chain.
US-based Chevron appoints Kevin McLachlan, a veteran of TotalEnergies, as its global head of exploration, in a strategic move targeting Nigeria, Angola and Namibia.
Lycos Energy finalises the sale of its Alberta assets for $60mn, planning an immediate $47.9mn cash distribution to shareholders and the launch of a share buyback programme.
Russian oil output moved closer to its OPEC+ allocation in September, with a steady rise confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
Fuel shortages now affect Bamako, struck in turn by a jihadist blockade targeting petroleum flows from Ivorian and Senegalese ports, severely disrupting national logistics.
McDermott has signed a memorandum of understanding with PETROFUND to launch technical training programmes aimed at strengthening local skills in Namibia’s oil and gas sector.
The example of OML 17 highlights the success of an African-led oil production model based on local accountability, strengthening Nigeria’s position in public energy investment.
ExxonMobil has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iraqi government to develop the Majnoon oil field, marking its return to the country after a two-year absence.
Crude prices rose following the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to increase production only marginally in November, despite ongoing signs of oversupply.
Cenovus Energy modifies terms of its acquisition of MEG Energy by increasing the offer value and adjusting the cash-share split, while reporting record third-quarter results.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.