The US government on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to block the proposed $25bn takeover by oil services group Halliburton of its rival Baker Hughes.
The filing by the Department of Justice could be the final blow for a deal that has faced intense scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.
In the lawsuit, antitrust regulators argued that the tie-up “threatens to eliminate competition, raise prices and reduce innovation in the oilfield services industry.”
“The proposed deal between Halliburton and Baker Hughes would eliminate vital competition, skew energy markets and harm American consumers,” attorney-general Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
