Brussels, 03/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 2 September, the European Commission cleared the acquisition of BG Group by Royal Dutch Shell. It focused its investigation on the markets in which the activities of Shell and BG Group overlap, specifically the exploration of reserves of oil and gas, the supply of natural gas and the liquefaction and supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The Commission found that after the transaction, the market share of the entity arising from the operation will be limited in the sectors of exploration for oil and gas reserves, liquefaction and the wholesale supply of LNG. Moreover, due to the fact that a number of strong competitors would remain on these markets following the operation, it concluded that the takeover would not allow Shell to influence prices and that these markets would remain competitive. The Commission also found that Shell and BG Group would be unlikely to prevent competitors from accessing some of Shell's LNG liquefaction facilities to supply the European Economic Area with LNG, or its natural gas transportation and processing infrastructure in the North Sea. (Élodie Lamer)