The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has escalated its scrutiny of Ampol's (ASX:ALD) proposed acquisition of EG Australia, issuing a notice of competition concerns as part of its mandatory Phase 2 merger review.
The regulator has flagged 54 specific EG Australia fuel sites across 51 local areas that may lessen competition, a reduction from the 115 sites initially earmarked for closer examination in January.
Despite this reduction, competition concerns persist, with an additional 20 local areas currently under assessment without a preliminary determination being finalised.
Beyond individual site analysis, the ACCC is investigating the broader metropolitan impacts of the merger in major capital cities.
Regulatory focus rests heavily on potential market concentration, particularly in Canberra, where the combined entity would hold a 31 per cent market share by site count.