Clean Hydrogen Works filed a second amended complaint Monday, adding Exxon Mobil as a defendant to its existing suit against Denbury Carbon Solutions with antitrust and unfair competition claims.
Clean Hydrogen Works, a startup environmental technology company, claims Exxon Mobil acquired Denbury Carbon Solutions and used it to sabotage them as a competitor, injure them as a customer of Denbury and harm competition.
“This is a case about abuse of market dominance,” the complaint reads.
The lawsuit filed in March 2025 concerns access to critical CO2 pipeline infrastructure along the Gulf Coast owned by Exxon affiliate Denbury.
Clean Hydrogen Works is developing a blue ammonia project in Louisiana. Blue ammonia is a lower-carbon form of ammonia used globally in fertilizer manufacturing and as a carrier for transporting hydrogen for energy and industrial applications. Its production requires access to a CO2 pipeline system.
Clean Hydrogen Works’s blue ammonia project depends on access to a limited CO2 transportation and sequestration pipeline system along the Gulf Coast, according to the complaint. That network is owned by Denbury, which Exxon acquired. The lawsuit alleges that following the acquisition, Exxon and its affiliate leveraged control of the pipeline system to force Denbury to break existing access agreements with Clean Hydrogen Works, while simultaneously advancing a competing Exxon-affiliated blue ammonia project.
Exxon is accused of blocking Clean Hydrogen Works from developing and selling its product and trying to cripple the company.
Clean Hydrogen Works brings breach of contract claims, conspiracy, and accuses the defendants of violating the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Louisiana Monopolization Act
Clean Hydrogen Works is seeking a jury trial, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 28 before Judge Sofia Adrogue.
While Clean Hydrogen Works did not disclose an exact damages amount, the complaint notes it is seeking damages of a billion dollars or more.
Last week, Denbury Carbon Solutions filed a motion for partial summary judgment and requested a hearing.
Denbury Carbon Solutions claims that under the language of the agreement between them, Clean Hydrogen Works is obligated to pay its legal expenses. It also claims that Clean Hydrogen Works has breached its agreement by failing to provide access to any books and records.
R. Paul Yetter, Timothy McConn, Connie H. Pfeiffer, Susanna R. Allen and Luke Schamel of Yetter Coleman are representing Clean Hydrogen Works.
Persis A. Dean, Andrew Hicks, Marc Tabolsky and Adam Dinnell of Hicks Johnson are representing Denbury Carbon Solutions. They declined to comment.
The case is Clean Hydrogen Works LLC, et al., v. Denbury Carbon Solutions LLC, Exxon Mobil Corporation, et al., 25-BC11A-0017.