Wyoming landowners oppose Anadarko antitrust lawsuit

Laramie County landowners have asked a federal judge to reject Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s attempt to dismiss state law claims in their antitrust lawsuit as the case against Anadarko Petroleum Corp. heads toward trial.

Anadarko Wyoming Antitrust Lawsuit: Background

In 2022, Wyoming landowners obtained class certification accusing Anadarko Petroleum Corp. of hoarding drilling permits to illegally block and control oil and gas development in certain parts of the state. This alleged antitrust conduct by Anadarko and its parent company Occidental is at the heart of the landowners’ claims.

Anadarko’s legal maneuvers

The landowners say Anadarko’s latest motion, filed in late June, is a rehash of previous arguments that the court has already rejected. They say Anadarko is trying to convince the judge to reconsider and overturn previous rulings with a ruling on the motion to dismiss.

Anadarko and Occidental argue that the landowners’ claims have no basis in state law and should be dismissed. The landowners, however, countered that the district court had already properly ruled against the companies’ motion for summary judgment as a matter of law under Wyoming’s antitrust statute.

Legal arguments and interpretation of laws

The landowners acknowledge that the ruling in the case cited the amended statute, but they insist it also relied on language from the previous version. They argue that Wyoming Statute § 40-4-401(a)(i) is “clear and unambiguous” when it comes to businesses engaging in practices that prevent competition or affect prices.