Business
Two pump jacks working near groundwater outlet with reflection in the puddle
Oil field with two nodding donkeys, operating near groundwater outlet

Chevron wins Guyana Basin dispute, officially closes $53 billion Hess deal

The oil giant prevailed over rival Exxon for access to one of the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil regions.

Nia Warfield
7/18/25 11:44AM

Chevron has officially closed its $53 billion acquisition of Hess after winning a closely watched arbitration case over offshore drilling rights in Guyana.

The dispute centered on whether Exxon and China’s CNOOC had a right of first refusal on Hess’ 30% stake in the Stabroek Block, one of the world’s most valuable high-output oil fields.

On Friday, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth told CNBC that the International Chamber of Commerce sided with Chevron in a ruling, ending months of uncertainty that threatened to derail the oil giant’s deal to buy Hess.

With the decision, Chevron has secured a foothold in the booming Guyana Basin, while Exxon will retain its 45% stake and leadership of the project. The deal’s closure paves the way for more integration and will include job cuts. Chevron has already been trimming staff, but Wirth said he expects “some” additional headcount cuts tied to the Chevron-Hess deal.

Chevron shares were down over 1% Friday afternoon, while Exxon was down over 3%.

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Fox and News Corp slide as investors digest $3.3 billion Murdoch succession settlement

Fox and News Corp shares dropped on Tuesday after Rupert Murdoch’s heirs agreed to a $3.3 billion settlement to resolve a long-running succession drama.

Under the deal, Prudence, Elisabeth, and James Murdoch will each receive about $1.1 billion, paid for in part by Fox selling 16.9 million Class B voting shares and News Corp selling 14.2 million shares. The stock sales will raise roughly $1.37 billion on behalf of the three heirs.

The new trust for Lachlan Murdoch will now control about 36.2% of Fox’s Class B shares and roughly 33.1% of News Corp’s stock, granting him uncontested voting authority over both companies for the next 25 years. Originally, the Murdoch trust was designed to hand over voting control of Fox and News Corp to Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James after his death.

Investors are weighing the trade-off. Clear leadership under Lachlan may resolve conflict internally, but the share dilution, executed at a roughly 4.5% discount, means long-term investors now hold slightly less clout than before.

Both companies’ stocks were trading close to all-time highs prior to the announcement.

385 ✈️ 434

Boeing on Tuesday announced that it delivered 57 commercial jets in August, its best total for the month in seven years. That brings its year-to-date delivery total to 385 planes, eclipsing its full-year 2024 figure by about 11%.

The August figure marked Boeing’s second-highest delivery total of 2025 and represented a 43% jump from the same month last year. Through August, Boeing has boosted its deliveries by 50% from last year.

The plane maker is still trailing its European rival Airbus, which delivered 61 planes in August and 434 year to date.

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