Elf Aquitaine created

The French government wanted to reinforce the country’s oil industry in order to cope with international competition. Strengthened by the merger, SNEA entered a period of rapid growth and international expansion. It became heavily involved in the USA, the world’s most important petroleum market.

Aquitaine’s Norwegian subsidiary merged with Elf Norge to create Elf Aquitaine Norge A/S (EAN) on 30 June 1977. Some 18 months had then elapsed since the parent companies merged.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Letter to industry minister Johan Ulveseth from P Guillaumat, chief executive of ERAP, dated 9 January 1976.