A critical ruling gave Chevron the go-ahead for a $53 billion acquisition of Hess, access to one of the biggest oil finds of the decade, and a big win

Arbitrators cleared the way for the long-delayed $53 billion acquisition after Exxon tried to pre-empt the deal.

The conclusion of the saga removes a stock overhang for Chevron and paves the way for the $53 billion deal to close immediately, which the oil giant said it could happen within a couple of days.