The 海角视频 competition regulator has launched an initial investigation into the £7bn takeover of Morrisons by a US private equity firm.
Final agreement on the takeover of the Bradford-based supermarket chain by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) was reached recently and the company was taken off the Stock Exchange this week.
But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has now served an initial enforcement order on Morrisons, CD&R and Motor Fuel Limited, the forecourt giant also owned by the US investment group.
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In the order, the regulator said the parties must remain separate and hold off integration plans until the probe has taken place.
It is understood that the CMA is particularly keen to investigate whether there could be competition issues surrounding Motor Fuel's petrol station sites and Morrisons' own forecourts.
CD&R bought the Motor Fuel Group in 2015 for £500m and has grown the forecourt operator to around 900 filling stations across the 海角视频.
Meanwhile, Morrisons operates around 335 fuel outlets, meaning CD&R would control more than 1,200 of the 海角视频's roughly 8,000 petrol stations.
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The CMA could investigate the deal in a similar fashion to its inquiry into Asda's takeover by EG Group owners Mohsin and Zuber Issa and private equity backer TDR Capital.
Asda agreed to sell 27 petrol stations to assuage concerns from the CMA that the company could raise fuel prices in these specific locations, which were in close proximity to EG group sites.