(Reuters) -Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday it has launched an inquiry into oilfield services company SLB's proposed $8 billion deal to buy smaller rival ChampionX. The Competition
UK Regulator Investigates SLB's $8 Billion Acquisition of ChampionX
(Reuters) -Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday it has launched an inquiry into oilfield services company SLB's proposed $8 billion deal to buy smaller rival ChampionX.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it is looking at whether the deal, which was announced last April, would raise competition concerns in any UK markets.
It has set a deadline of March 27 for its Phase 1 decision.
SLB has said that it expects the deal to clear closer to the first quarter of 2025.
However, several oil and gas firm deals have been delayed by second requests from antitrust regulators for additional information, since the consolidation wave began in 2023.
Last year, the United States Department of Justice sent SLB and ChampionX a second request for additional information related to the deal.
(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
