Financing Risks and Project Delays
The lawsuit paints the consequences as severe.
CHW says the loss of pipeline access has rattled its financing, strained customer relationships and delayed development, while competitors with secured CO₂ transport continue advancing their projects.
“By controlling Denbury’s critical infrastructure, Exxon could consolidate its control over the blue ammonia market and act as a gatekeeper for its competitors,” the petition alleges.
CHW’s counsel, Timothy McConn, said that as discovery progressed, the broader picture came into focus.
“It became increasingly clear that the actions taken by Denbury were part of a broader scheme that was orchestrated by Exxon for improper and anticompetitive motives,” McConn said.
A Choke Point in the Low-Carbon Race
Exxon has not publicly responded in detail to the latest filing.
The case highlights a growing reality in the race toward low-carbon fuels: infrastructure — not just production technology — may be the decisive bottleneck. Carbon capture and storage networks, once seen as auxiliary, are emerging as strategic arteries. Whoever controls the pipeline may control the pace of the energy transition.
As Clean Hydrogen sued Exxon, the courtroom battle now mirrors the broader contest reshaping America’s Gulf Coast — where carbon molecules, contracts and competition collide.
