Shareholders of Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. on Friday approved a pending merger with Chevron Corp. in a special meeting, all but guaranteeing the tie up will be completed by year’s end.

Chevron in July clinched a definitive agreement in an all-stock transaction worth $5 billion that carried a total enterprise value, including debt, of $13 billion. The transaction, which at the time valued Noble at $10.38/share, is designed as trading 0.1191 Chevron shares for each Noble share. 

Noble CEO David Stover said the approval “marks an important milestone on the path to becoming part of an even stronger global energy platform. We thank our shareholders and other stakeholders for recognizing the many benefits that will be realized, and the significant value that will be created,...