Californians Allege Oil Refiners Illegally Boosted Gas Prices

Several California residents filed a class-action antitrust lawsuit against a handful of major oil refiners, alleging the companies inflated reports for how much it costs to comply with the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program and saddled consumers with higher gas prices.

The complaint, filed Nov. 26 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges Chevron Corp., Valero Energy Corp., PBF Energy Inc., Marathon Petroleum Co. LP, and Phillips 66 Co. violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, the California Cartwright Act, and the California Unfair Competition Law.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege ...