Ottawa approves Shell acquisition of ARC Resources
The federal government has cleared ARC Resources Ltd. to move forward with its planned business deal with Shell plc and Shell Canada Limited.
The approval under the Investment Canada Act removes a major obstacle for the deal, known as a plan of arrangement.
The clearance follows a series of regulatory decisions made since July 14, 2026. Regulatory bodies have granted all required permissions to close the deal, including approvals under Canada’s Competition Act, the Canada Transportation Act, and the United States Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.
Additionally, the Alberta Securities Commission granted Shell special permission regarding rules around its share buyback programs in the United Kingdom and Netherlands. ARC shareholders approved the deal on July 14, 2026, and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta issued the final legal order approving it the next day.
The companies expect to finish the deal on or around Sept. 2, 2026, assuming all remaining standard conditions are met or waived.
