SoftSearch Holdings, Inc.; GeoQuest International Holdings, Inc.; Analysis To Aid Public Comment

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In settlement of alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices and unfair methods of competition, this consent agreement, accepted subject to final Commission approval, would require, among other things, Dwight's EnergyData, Inc., a subsidiary of SoftSearch and the largest supplier of U.S. gas and oil production data, to license its data to a Commission-approved buyer, which will operate as an independent competitor. The agreement settles allegations that Dwight's merger with its major competitor Petroleum Information Corporation, a subsidiary of GeoQuest International, could create a monopoly for production and well history data, in violation of federal antitrust laws.