Feb 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said Thursday that Exxon

, Chevron ( CVX ), Shell and six other oil

companies should face part of a lawsuit in Puerto Rico accusing

them of misleading the public about climate change and

conspiring to suppress clean energy alternatives.

The preliminary ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor

Ramos-Vega in San Juan said that a group of Puerto Rican towns

provided enough information for now to pursue antitrust and

racketeering claims against Exxon and the other companies.

Ramos-Vega recommended dismissing consumer deception,

fraud and other state claims from the lawsuit. A federal

district court judge will consider whether to adopt all or part

of Ramos-Vega's ruling.

The municipalities alleged in their 2022 lawsuit that the

oil companies formed a coalition used to fund a marketing

campaign to deny climate change and worked together to undermine

alternative energy sources. The lawsuit seeks damages tied to

the destruction caused to Puerto Rico by Hurricanes Irma and

Maria in 2017.

The decision is a "major victory for climate accountability"

that sets the lawsuit on track for a trial, said Marc Grossman

of law firm Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, a lawyer

for the 37 Puerto Rican municipal plaintiffs.

In a statement, a lawyer for Chevron ( CVX ) said the lawsuit "is

virtually identical to others which have been dismissed by

numerous federal and state courts across the country."

Representatives for Exxon and Shell did not immediately

respond to requests for comment. The oil companies have denied

any wrongdoing.

In seeking dismissal of the lawsuit, the oil companies said

the complaint was "premised on the breathtaking notion that

defendants may be held liable for all carbon emissions,

everywhere and at any time."

Dozens of U.S. state and local municipalities have sued oil

companies to seek monetary damages for their alleged role of

contributing to climate change.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a bid from major

oil companies to stop a lawsuit by Honolulu accusing them of

misleading the public about the dangers of climate change.

In a separate decision last month, a state judge dismissed

New York City's lawsuit accusing Exxon and other companies of

duping the public about their products.

The case is The Municipalities of Bayamon et al. v. Exxon

Mobil Corp. ( XOM ) et al., U.S. District Court for the District of

Puerto Rico, case No. 3:22-cv-01550.

For the municipalities: Marc Grossman, Melissa Sims, and

Vicki Maniatis of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman

For Chevron ( CVX ): Theodore Boutrous Jr of Gibson, Dunn &

Crutcher, and Neal Manne of Susman Godfrey

For Exxon: Theodore Wells Jr of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind,

Wharton & Garrison

For Shell: David Frederick of Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel &

Frederick

Read more:

New York City lawsuit against Exxon, BP, Shell over climate

change dismissed

US Supreme Court rejects bid by oil companies to toss

Honolulu's climate suit

Consumers sue Exxon, Dow, others over plastic recycling

claims

Puerto Rican towns sue Big Oil under RICO alleging collusion

on climate denial