US oil producer Continental Resources claims Hess defrauded it out of $69 million

HOUSTON (Reuters) -U.S. shale producer Continental Resources has filed a lawsuit against Hess Corp alleging that it was defrauded out of up to $69 million through a series of deals the well operator conducted with its subsidiaries. Continental said that Hess, which operates hundreds of wells in North Dakota, artificially inflated midstream service fees by entering into agreements with its own subsidiaries. Net revenues for hydrocarbons from the wells, in which Continental holds a non-operating working interest, were far below market value due to excessive service fees paid to Hess Midstream Partners, the lawsuit said.