The shareholders of the American oil exploration company Hess approved its acquisition by the giant Chevron Company in a huge deal worth $53 billion, in a historic step that redraws the map of the global oil industry.

This deal, which is still subject to regulatory review, strengthens Chevron's dominance over the Guyana region, which is one of the fastest growing regions of oil reserves in the world. Hess owns large shares in a huge oil field off the coast of the country, whose reserves are estimated at 11 billion barrels of oil and gas.

This deal comes amid an intense conflict over oil and gas in Guyana. ExxonMobil, Chevron's competitor, is seeking to cooperate with the latter in a huge project in the region.

This deal is a milestone in the global oil industry. It strengthens Chevron's dominance over one of the most important energy resources of the future, poses a major challenge to other oil companies, and raises concerns about its impact on competition, prices, the environment, and climate change.