Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Shell and Exxon abandon plans to sell North Sea assets to Viaro

(Sharecast News) - Shell and Exxon announced on Wednesday that they have abandoned plans to sell their North Sea assets to Viaro Energy. Shell said that commercial and market conditions had evolved and conditions needed to complete the deal - which was agreed in July last 2024 - were not met. The London-listed oil giant will continue to operate the assets.

Viaro Energy founder and chief executive Francesco Mazzagatti said: "The parties have worked hard and in close alignment to try and complete this transaction over many months, but despite this being a fully funded opportunity, the completion conditions were not met as commercial and market conditions evolved and we mutually agreed not to proceed."

According to the Telegraph, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), the industry regulator, said on Wednesday that it had delayed signing off on the deal after failing to receive information it had requested from Viaro.

A NSTA spokesman said: "While the NSTA does not usually comment on regulatory decisions, in this case we were waiting to receive the additional information requested from the purchasing party in order to make a decision."

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Air France-KLM submits bid for stake in Portugal's TAP
(Sharecast News) - Air France-KLM said it had submitted a non-binding offer to buy a minority stake in TAP Air Portugal as part of the Portuguese government's plan to privatise its national airline.
Sorted Group proposes to dispose of its main trading subsidiary
(Sharecast News) - Sorted Group announced a proposal to dispose of its main trading subsidiary Sorted Group Limited on Thursday, for a nominal £1, in a move that would see the company become an AIM cash shell and pursue a new acquisition-led strategy.
Speedy Hire warns on worsening market conditions despite strategic progress
(Sharecast News) - Tools and equipment hire company Speedy Hire said on Thursday that it had delivered "significant strategic progress" in FY26, highlighted by its "transformational" partnership with Proservice and continued momentum across its core operations, but also cautioned that trading conditions had deteriorated further in the final quarter amid budget uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and customer‑driven delays.
RBC Capital Markets upgrades Berkeley to 'outperform'
(Sharecast News) - Analysts at RBC Capital Markets upgraded housebuilder Berkeley from 'sector perform' to 'outperform' on Thursday, noting the group had "acted decisively" to the challenges it had faced.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.