Chevron will proceed with its $53 billion acquisition of Hess, after it prevailed in a landmark legal battle against larger rival Exxon Mobil to gain access to the largest oil discovery in decades.

Chevron struck the deal to acquire Hess in October 2023. Exxon tried to block the move last year, saying it had a right of first refusal to buy Hess’ Guyana assets because of its joint operating agreement with Hess and the China National Offshore Oil Corp., or Cnooc, for the Stabroek Block.

Arbitrators cleared the way for the long-delayed $53 billion acquisition after Exxon tried to pre-empt the deal.

Chevron closed its $55 billion acquisition of Hess on Friday after winning a landmark legal battle against larger rival Exxon Mobil to gain access to the biggest oil discovery in decades - the Stabroek Block off the coast of Guyana,

Chevron has prevailed against Exxon Mobil in a dispute over Hess Corporation’s offshore oil assets in the South American nation of Guyana.

Chevron won its hotly contested legal battle against rival Exxon Mobil, allowing it to immediately close its $53 billion acquisition of Hess on July 18 and give the Big Oil major access to arguably the biggest oil discovery of the century offshore of sparsely populated Guyana.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday reversed a previous order that had barred Hess Corp CEO John Hess from the board of directors at Chevron as a condition of the oil giant's pending $53 billion acquisition of his company.

The FTC has reopened an order involving Chevron’s proposed acquisition of Hess, and another regarding Exxon Mobil’s proposed purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources after its initial complaints failed to plead any antitrust law violation.