New York CNN —Scott Sheffield, the founder and longtime CEO of a leading American oil producer, attempted to collude with OPEC and its allies to inflate prices, federal regulators alleged on Thursday. Regulators say Sheffield, then the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, used WhatsApp conversations, in-person meetings and public statements to try to “align oil production” in the Permian Basin in Texas with that of OPEC and OPEC+, the wider group that includes Russia. Unlike with OPEC nations, US oil production is supposed to be decided by the free market, not by coordination among the major players. The FTC said that while Sheffield was discussing efforts to coordinate output with other Texas producers, the Pioneer CEO said: “If Texas leads the way, maybe we can get OPEC to cut production. Exxon said that in response to the FTC’s concerns, it will not add Sheffield to its board.

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