Exolum Corporation has maintained that the prices of its logistics services are “reasonable and transparent” and that its business complies with competition law and the current regulatory framework, following the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC)’s announcement on Wednesday that it was opening sanctioning proceedings over three possible abuses of a dominant position in the markets for the transport and storage of liquid hydrocarbons, biofuels, and other chemical products.
Exolum maintains that the rates for its main services have risen less than inflation in each of the past 25 years. According to Exolum, these prices remained unchanged during the recent energy crisis, a circumstance it cites in defense of its commercial policy in response to the practices under investigation by the supervisory authority.
The logistics operator said it is reviewing the contents of the proceedings with its legal advisers and will cooperate with the CNMC throughout the process. It also stated that it intends to exercise its rights of defense with all the safeguards provided for in the administrative procedure.
Exolum has also reiterated its commitment to compliance with the law and free competition rules. The company said that, as the proceedings are ongoing, it will make no further comments on the matters under investigation.
The company’s response comes after the Directorate for Competition announced the initiation of proceedings S/0005/26, in which it is examining three possible practices contrary to Law 15/2007 on the Defense of Competition. The investigation began following an analysis of several reports by the Regulatory Supervision Chamber and a dispute related to third-party access to hydrocarbon transport infrastructure. During the investigation, the regulator’s inspection team also visited Exolum’s headquarters.
The CNMC is investigating whether the company’s position as Spain’s leading primary logistics operator for liquid hydrocarbons may have allowed it to maintain high margins through rate increases. It is also examining a possible refusal to grant access to transport and storage facilities used by a competing operator at the port of Tarragona, which could have limited its ability to compete in certain markets.
The authority considers that the practices under investigation may have affected both the business activities of other companies and the prices paid by consumers. However, these possible effects are among the matters to be determined during the proceedings.
The scale of Exolum’s operations is detailed in the CNMC’s latest annual supervisory report, covering 2025. According to the report, the company manages Spain’s only national oil pipeline network, which is more than 4,000 kilometers long, and has 39 storage facilities with a combined capacity of approximately eight million cubic meters.
The same report states that the average effective price of gasoline and diesel handling services was 0.997 euro cents per liter in 2025, up 1.9% from the previous year. This amount represented 0.7% of the average retail price of 95-octane gasoline and diesel fuel during that year.
Both Exolum and the CNMC have stressed that opening proceedings does not establish that any infringement has occurred or prejudge the outcome of the investigation. The proceedings have a maximum resolution period of 24 months, during which the practices under investigation and the company’s submissions must be analyzed.
