Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERG ER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,  BELGIË 
 Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu . 
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Brussels, 02.10.2018 
C(2018) 6546 final 
 
 
 To the notifying parties 
 
Subject: Case M.9101 – EXXONMOBIL / QATAR PETROLEUM / EXXONMOBIL 
EXPLORATION ARGENTINA / MOBIL ARGENTINA 
Commission decision pursuant to Articl e 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) 
No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreemen t on the European Economic Area2  
Dear Sir or Madam, 
1. On 10 September 2018, the European Commissi on received notifica tion of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by wh ich the undertakings 
Exxon Mobil (USA) and Qatar Petroleum (Qatar) acquire within the meaning of 
Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regul ation joint control of ExxonMobil Exploration 
Argentina S.R.L. (Argentina), and Mobil Arge ntina S.A. (Argentina), both belonging to 
ExxonMobil by way of purchase of shares.3 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: 
– Exxon Mobil  is active worldwide in the developm ent, production, and sale of crude 
oil and natural gas; the refining and sa le of refined petroleum products; the 
development, production, and sale of various chemical products; and power 
generation. 
– Qatar Petroleum is active worldwide in  the exploration, dr illing and production 
operations, transport, storage, marketing and sale of crude oil, refined products, 
liquefied natural gas (LNG), pe trochemicals and fertilizers. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the 'Mer ger Regulation'). With effect from  1 December 2009, the Treaty on the 
Functioning of the European Union ('TFEU') has intr oduced certain changes, su ch as the replacement of 
'Community' by 'Union' and 'common market' by 'interna l market'. The terminology of the TFEU will be used 
throughout this decision.  
2  OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement'). 
3  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 329 , 18.9.2018, p. 5. 
PUBLIC VERSION 
2 – ExxonMobil Exploration Argentina S.R.L.  and Mobil Argentina S.A.are wholly 
owned affiliates of ExxonMobil in Argen tina, which own and operate the Vaca 
Muerta shale field in Neuquen province in Argentina and are active in the 
exploration, development, production, and sa le of crude oil and gas in Argentina. 
3. After examination of the notification, the Eu ropean Commission ha s concluded that the 
notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of paragraph 5(a)  of 
the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.
4 
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simp lified procedure, the European Commission 
has decided not to oppose the notified operati on and to declare it compatible with the 
internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of 
Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulati on and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement. 
For the Commission 
 (Signed) Johannes LAITENBERGER Director-General 
                                                 
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.