I was also just reading the FTC complaint [1] because this article reads as painfully biased. And perhaps somebody else can fill in the blanks here, but so far

I was also just reading the FTC complaint [1] because this article reads as painfully biased. And perhaps somebody else can fill in the blanks here, but so far as I can tell, the FTC is not alleging any sort of wrongdoing, but instead filing a complaint against a proposed merger between Exxon and another company, which could enable larger scale constraints on competition. Their evidence are the messages and comments from the head of the to-be-merged company, who made efforts to follow along with OPEC price standards (or even take the lead) as a means of maximizing profit. Where 'strategic pricing' ends and price fixing begins is not at all clear to me, especially in a field like this where global prices are actively controlled by a price fixing cartel. But it seems to me that the main article is engaging in some extreme speculation, hyperbole, and sensationalism - while presenting it all as matter of fact. [1] - https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/2410004exxonpioneercomplaintredacted.pdf https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/2410004exxonpio...