Lawsuit Accuses U.S. Shale of Cartel Behavior

A lawsuit in a U.S. court is accusing American oil and gas producers, including Hess, Pioneer Natural Resources and Occidental Petroleum, of price-fixing by conspiring to reduce production.  A total of nine companies are listed in the lawsuit filed by residents of Nevada, Hawaii and Maine, Reuters reports.  The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Las Vegas.  The lawsuit alleges that these companies have for years “collectively coordinated their production decisions, leading to production growth rates lower than…