Aker Solutions won convincing approval from its shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting for the oilfield services group to go ahead with the controversial NOK 1.7 bn ($263m) raft of asset purchases from industrial group Aker ASA.

Aker ASA controls 40.27% of the shares in Aker Solutions through Aker Holding AS, and there was widespread criticism from analysts, the media and in parliament, over the pricing.

However an independent study by investment bank UBS found that the deal - for Aker Soltuions to buy shareholdings in five Aker group companies - was fairly priced.

The Norwegian government, facing an election year, is a shareholder in Aker Solutions through Aker Holding AS.

Aker Solutions late on Monday released details of the EGM which was conducted earlier in the day and they showed that shareholders with 96.62% of the votes gave the green light to the asset sales.

News agencies reported that the government and other owners of Aker Holding had agreed to back the asset sales which made the approval likely.