Japanese oil refiners Idemitsu Kosan and Showa Shell Sekiyu said on Tuesday they had agreed to merge in April next year, after Idemitsu's founding family dropped its long-standing opposition to the plan.
The companies will merge via a share swap, and Showa Shell will be delisted, they said in a statement. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Additional reporting by Chris Gallagher; editing by Richard Pullin)