The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following Applications for Approval for Shell Oil Company and Roche Holding Ltd

Commission action regarding applications for approval: Following a public comment period, the Commission has ruled on an application for approval of a transaction from the following:

• Shell Oil Company has been granted permission to divest the Shell Anacortes Refining Company in Anacortes, Washington, to Tesoro Petroleum Corporation. The divestiture is required under the terms of a final consent order with Shell and Texaco, Inc. that requires the companies to divest assets to settle FTC charges that their proposed joint venture would violate federal antitrust laws. The Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 4-0. (See news releases dated June 11, 1998; April 22, 1998; December 19, 1997; Docket No. C-3803. Staff contact is Daniel P. Ducore, 202-326-2526.)

Applications for approval of transactions: The FTC has received an application for approval of a transaction from the following. The FTC is seeking public comments on the application for 30 days, until September 8, 1998.

• Roche Holding Ltd. has petitioned the FTC for approval of a proposed divestiture of its acquired drugs of abuse testing (DAT) reagents business to Microgenics Corporation. The divestiture is required by a consent order settling charges that Roche's acquisition of Corange Limited would eliminate competition between two leading suppliers of reagents used to test for drug abuse in the workplace. The company's application also requested permission to license the patents for non-DAT testing applications to Microgenics. (See news release dated February 25, 1998; Docket No. C-3809; Staff contact is Daniel P. Ducore, 202-326-2526.)

Copies of the documents referenced above are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-FTC-HELP (202-382-4357); TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.