Commerce Commission: Preussag, Shell and Todd apply for restrictive trade practice authorisation
Three parties, Preussag Energie, Shell Exploration and Todd Petroleum Mining, have applied to the Commerce Commission
for authorisation to enter into arrangements to jointly market and sell gas produced from the Pohokura field off the
Taranaki coast.
The Commerce Act prohibits competitors agreeing to work together in a way that reduces competition between them.
However, the Act does allow for authorisation of potentially anti-competitive business practices if the public benefit
is greater than the detriment to competition.
The Act sets no deadline for the Commission to consider authorisation of a potentially anti-competitive practice. Public
notices asking for submissions will be published shortly.
A public version of the application will be available on the Commission’s website, http://www.comcom.govt.nz, in the New Year.