By Brianna Bailey, Business Writer
Michigan authorities filed criminal antitrust charges Wednesday against Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Delaware-based Encana Oil and Gas USA for allegedly collaborating in 2010 to avoid bidding against each other for oil and gas leases.
Prosecutors claim Chesapeake and Encana executives conspired through a series of emails to divide up oil and gas leases in Michigan, and that the corporations crafted a draft agreement, according to the charges.
The emails, made public in 2012 by Reuters, included discussions between the companies’ executives regarding an agreement to split up Michigan counties so that each company would be an exclusive bidder for both public and private leases.
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