LONDON—U.S. regulators have accused French oil firm Total SA of manipulating the price of natural gas in the southwest between June 2009 and June 2012.

According to a notice published by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday, traders at the French company's Houston-based subsidiary, over the course of the three years, conducted a scheme in which uneconomic trades in the physical market were made to move prices in a way that benefited Total's related positions on at least 38 occasions.

The allegations are the latest in a series of crackdowns by FERC against manipulation in the gas and power markets. In recent years the regulator has pursued high-profile cases against J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Barclays PLC and Deutsche Bank AG.

Last month, an administrative law judge for the regulator found BP PLC guilty of a similar scheme conducted in 2008. Enforcement lawyers from FERC have sought fines of nearly $50 million for the market abuse, though the government's evidence showed the activity netted the company less than $250,000 in profits. BP denies wrongdoing and is appealing the ruling.

FERC didn't give details of the amount of money Total might have made from its alleged trading scheme, or the potential penalty it might seek.

According to the regulators, the alleged scheme was conducted by traders on the Total Gas & Power North America West Desk, led by supervisors Therese Nguyen and Aaron Hall.

Total didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Write to Sarah Kent at sarah.kent@wsj.com

 

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 22, 2015 14:25 ET (18:25 GMT)

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