Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.8671 — BP/Bridas/Axion) — Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance. )
Date: 2017-10-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, energy industry, gas industry, merger control, oil industry, petrochemicals, soft energy








C_2017361EN.01004101.xml










25.10.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 361/41





Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.8671 — BP/Bridas/Axion)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2017/C 361/08)






1.


On 19 October 2017, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


BP plc (United Kingdom),










—


Bridas Corporation (British Virgin Islands), jointly controlled by Bridas Energy Holdings Ltd and China National Offshore Oil Corporation,










—


Axion Energy Holding SL (Spain), currently under the sole control of Bridas Corporation.




BP plc (‘BP’) and Bridas Corporation (‘Bridas’) will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control over Axion Energy Holding SL (‘Axion’).
The concentration is accomplished by way of a purchase of shares.










2.


The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


BP is active in the markets for crude oil and natural gas exploration, production and marketing, in the refining, supply and transportation of petroleum products, petrochemicals and related products and in alternative energy,










—


Bridas is indirectly active in exploration, development, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil and natural gas, marketing and transportation of petroleum products, gathering, treatment, processing and distribution of natural gas and power generation, drilling and well services and refining, production and sale of fuels, lubricants and associated derivative petrochemicals,










—


Axion is active in the refining of crude oil and the sale of petroleum products and its derivatives in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.














3.


On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.










4.


The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.8671 — BP/Bridas/Axion
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:





E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu




Fax: +32 22964301




Postal address:




European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË










(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.