Ampol’s acquisition of EG Australia has yet to receive clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as the regulator now requires “further in-depth assessment”.

The review of the proposed deal has moved to the second phase, with the ACCC now inviting submissions from stakeholders until February 4.

According to the regulator, the merger could lessen competition in the retail supply of petrol and diesel in several markets in Australia, given that Ampol and EG Australia both retail fuel and convenience products in all states and territories.

“We have identified 115 EG sites where the acquisition could substantially lessen competition in the relevant local market, and also consider that the acquisition could substantially lessen competition in the metropolitan areas of Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney,” said ACCC Commissioner Philip Williams.

Ampol entered into an agreement to acquire EG Australia, which includes EG Group Australia and EG AsiaPac Holdings, for a headline price of $1.1 billion last August.

The company planned to divest approximately 20 sites across locations where network overlap will occur as part of its ACCC application. 

However, the competition regulator said the divestment does not adequately address local or metropolitan-wide issues, which is why it needs to conduct a further in-depth assessment.

UK-based EG Group bought 540 fuel convenience sites from Woolworths for $1.73 billion in April 2019 to enter the Australian market. The company had refined its portfolio to approximately 500 locations as of mid-2025.