石油圈中国石化新闻网讯 据普氏能源资讯 一些消息人士上周五表示，美国国会似乎越来越有可能就一项允许美国司法部起诉欧佩克违反反垄断法的法案进行投票。 这些消息人士表示，在过去的20年里，每届国会都推出了名为《禁止石油生产和出口卡特尔法案》(NOPEC)的不同版本，但目前的一些因素引发了猜测，即共和党控制的众议院和参议院可能在假期休会前就该法案进行投票。 几位消息人士表示，尽管不确定，但随着本周在维也纳举行的欧佩克会议，关于可能对NOPEC法案进行表决的讨论激增。 一位参与议案的众议院助理周五表示：“有些人正在努力推NOPEC，但目前尚无定论。” 几位分析人士表示，由于记者贾迈勒·哈肖吉遇害、也门战争以及特朗普总统可能对欧佩克决定减产表示不满，国会推动对付沙特阿拉伯的行动，增加了NOPEC投票的可能性。 这项法案要求众议院和参议院通过，特朗普签署成为法律，这将允许美国总检察长在舍曼反托拉斯法下起诉一家外国原油生产商进行价格操纵。 一位分析人士表示，美国国会就NOPEC法案进行表决的催化剂可能是来自美国司法部的公众支持。 8月，爱荷华州共和党参议员和参议院司法委员会主席Chuck Grassley、美国州代表弗吉尼亚州共和党人Bob Goodlatte和众议院司法委员会主席，给美国司法部反托拉斯部助理司法部长Makan Delrahim发了一封信，问他对NOPEC立法的“看法”。据消息人士透露，Delrahim尚未作出回应，但在2008年，作为私人执业律师，他在《山坡报》上撰文支持NOPEC的立法。 Delrahim写道：“没有理由根据卡特尔成员与国家政府的关系来区别对待他们，无论涉及委内瑞拉还是埃克森美孚，反竞争协定都对世界经济造成重大损害。” Delrahim定于周二下午出席众议院司法小组委员会关于反垄断执法机构监督问题的听证会。 消息人士表示，欧佩克官员对通过NOPEC的前景越来越感到不安，今年早些时候，欧佩克开始制定一项法律战略来反对这项立法。 消息人士周五猜测，卡塔尔退出欧佩克的令人惊讶的决定，部分原因可能是担心NOPEC被签署为法律，那么其将承担很大的法律风险。卡塔尔石油公司是德克萨斯黄金通道LNG码头的主要拥有者。 卡塔尔能源部长Saad Sherida al-Kaabi星期三在维也纳对记者说：“我们离开是因为我们的决定和我们的评估是，卡塔尔留在欧佩克是不好的，我们不认为卡塔尔会继续增值。” 俄亥俄州共和党众议员Steve Chabot 5月份介绍了NOPEC议案H.R.5904的众议院版本。六月，众议院司法委员会通过口头表决批准了这项法案。Grassley于7月介绍了NOPEC议案S.3214的参议院版本，但参议院司法委员会尚未投票表决。 王磊 摘译自 普氏能源资讯 原文如下： Congress looks increasingly likely to vote on a bill that would allow the US Department of Justice to sue OPEC for antitrust violations, several sources said Friday. Versions of the bill, titled the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels or NOPEC Act, have been introduced in every Congress over the past 20 years, but several current factors have fueled speculation that the Republican-controlled House and Senate may vote on it before the holiday recess, these sources said. Several sources said, while not definite, talk of a potential vote on the NOPEC bill ramped up considerably as this week’s OPEC meeting was taking place in Vienna. “There’s some push to look at NOPEC, but there’s nothing certain yet,” one House aide involved in talks to move the legislation said Friday. Several analysts said that a congressional push to confront Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its war in Yemen, as well as President Donald Trump’s likely displeasure over OPEC’s decision to cut production, have boosted the odds of a NOPEC vote. The bill, which would require passage in the House and Senate and Trump’s signature to become law, would allow the US attorney general to sue a foreign crude producer for price manipulation under the Sherman Antitrust Act. One analyst said the likely catalyst for a congressional vote on the NOPEC bill will be public support from the US DOJ. In August, Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and US Representative Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Makan Delrahim, an assistant attorney general in DOJ’s antitrust division, asking for his “views” on the NOPEC legislation. Delrahim has yet to respond, according to sources, but in 2008, as an attorney in private practice, he wrote an op-ed in The Hill newspaper in support of NOPEC legislation. “There is simply no reason to treat cartel members differently based on their connection to a national government,” Delrahim wrote. “Whether they involve Venezuela or Exxon Mobil, anti-competitive agreements cause significant harm to the world economy.” Delrahim is scheduled to appear before a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on oversight of the antitrust enforcement agencies on Tuesday afternoon. OPEC officials have grown increasingly uneasy about the prospects of NOPEC passage and, earlier this year, began devising a legal strategy to counter the legislation, sources said. Sources speculated Friday that Qatar’s surprising decision to withdraw from OPEC may have been partly motivated by concern over legal risk if the NOPEC legislation was signed into law. Qatar Petroleum is the majority owner of the Golden Pass LNG terminal in Texas. “We left because it is our decision and our assessment is that it’s not good for Qatar to remain [in OPEC],” Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister, told reporters in Vienna Wednesday. “We don’t see the value added for Qatar to remain.” Representative Steve Chabot, an Ohio Republican, introduced the House-version of the NOPEC bill, H.R. 5904, in May. It was approved by the House Judiciary Committee by voice vote in June. Grassley introduced the Senate-version of the NOPEC bill, S. 3214, in July. It has yet to be voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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