“Linde and Praxair continue to assume that they will be able to complete the business combination in the second half of 2018,” the German company said in a quarterly earnings statement Wednesday. “The merger control and regulatory processes are in full swing.”

Second-quarter operating profit rose 3.3% to 1.13 billion euros (US$1.31 billion), helped by efficiency programs and good macroeconomic conditions, the Munich-based company said. Revenue rose 1.1% to 4.46 billion euros.

Linde and Praxair have announced more than US$9 billion in asset sales this month as the companies work against a self-imposed October deadline to push through a tie-up that would create the largest supplier of gases like oxygen and nitrogen widely used in manufacturing. Last week, Linde announced it was selling most of its North and South American businesses for US$3.3 billion, and Praxair said earlier in July it would divest its European assets for US$5.9 billion.

Faced with an in-depth review by the European Commission of their long-sought combination, they are now hoping the disposals will lead to approval of the deal. The commission had warned the merger would leave the industrial gas market with just three players, including Linde-Praxair, potentially exposing the market to coordinated price increases.

Linde has left open the possibility that more disposals might be needed. The company said sales negotiations with potential buyers for the logistics business called Gist were abandoned in the second quarter.