Elf logo

Elf Aquitaine is a former French oil company merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003. Elf has been maintained as a major brand of Total. ImageMetadata File history File links Elf_logo. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Elf_logo. ... Total SA (NYSE: TOT) is a multinational energy company, and one of the top four oil companies in the world (along with Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil). ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

Elf Aquitaine's heritage is rooted among three pioneering French oil companies; Régie Autonome des Pétroles (RAP), Société Nationale des Pétroles d'Aquitaine (SNPA) and Bureau de Recherches de Pétroles (BRP). These companies formed to exploit the discovery of a gas field in Saint-Marcet in the Aquitaine region of south-western France. Capital Bordeaux Area 41,309 km² Regional President Alain Rousset ( PS) (since 1998) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 6th) 3,049,000 2,908,359 74/km² (2004) Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Aquitaine...

In December 1965 RAP and BRP were merged to form Entreprise de Recherches et d'Activités Pétrolières (ERAP). ERAP had SNPA, Union Générale des Pétroles (UGP), and Union Industrielle des Pétroles (UIP) as subsidiaries. For the first time this organisation controlled all parts of production, from exploration to the filling station. Modern filling station A filling station, gas station or petrol station is a facility that sells fuel and lubricants for road motor vehicles – usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. ...

On April 28 1967 the company's disparate brands and products were unified under the Elf brand.

In 1976 Elf-ERAP became Société National Elf Aquitaine (SNEA), later Elf Aquitaine. Elf Aquitaine was listed on the NYSE in 1991. In 1996 the French government sold its stake, retaining a Golden Share. In 2000 Elf Aquitaine merged with Total Fina to form TotalFinaElf, which changed its name to Total in 2003. In 1993 Elf was awarded the excluive contract to the Iraqi Oil Fields by Sadamm. This has come under fire pre-Iraqi 2003 war. This also dissproves many conspiracy theories about Haliburtan's involvement with Iraqi Oil fields. New York Stock Exchange (June 2003) The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world. ... Golden Share or Zolotaya Aktsiya (Золотая Акция in Russian) is a nominal share, held by a government organization, in a government company undergoing the process of privatization and transformation into a stock-company. ...

Motorsport

Elf Renault Formula 1 car in 1979

From its very beginnings Elf has used motor racing as a means of promotion. It began with a four-year association with Matra which began with a French Formula 3 programme which resulted in Henri Pescarolo winning the title. The European Formula 2 Championship fell to Matra the following year with Jean-Pierre Beltoise. And in 1969 the combination won the Formula 1 World Championship with Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart. The aim to win the Le Mans 24 Hours was not achieved until 1972 by which time Elf and Matra had gone their separate ways. Elf decided to undertake a policy to rebuild French motor racing and so began a new long-term relationship with Renault. Download high resolution version (1500x1045, 1635 KB)Renault RS 10 in the pits at Monaco GP 1979. ... Download high resolution version (1500x1045, 1635 KB)Renault RS 10 in the pits at Monaco GP 1979. ... Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra is a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to aeronautics and weaponry which today operates as the Lagardère Group. ... Henri Pescarolo was a Formula One driver from France. ... Jean-Pierre Beltoise (born 26 April 1937 in Paris, France) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Matra and BRM teams. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ... Tyrrell was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell. ... Jackie Stewart speaking at the 2005 United States Grand Prix Sir John Young Stewart OBE (born June 11, 1939 in Dumbartonshire, Scotland), better known as Jackie Stewart, is a three-time Formula One racing champion representing Great Britain. ... 24 hours of Le Mans (24 heures du Mans) is a famous sports car endurance race held at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, near river La Sarthe. ... Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing small to upper-midsize cars, vans, buses and trucks. ...

The most famous of the schemes to promote young drivers dates back to the start of the 1970s when Francois Guiter of the Elf petroleum company established what was known as the "Volant Elf". The fastest drivers on each course at the Winfield Racing Schools at Magny Cours and Paul Ricard were asked to return to the school in the autumn to establish who had been the fastest driver of the year. The two winners were each given a full budget to race the following year in Formula Renault. If they were fast enough they would be retained by Elf in Formula 3 and then Formula 2 (or later Formula 3000) and eventually they would get a drive in Formula 1. The first two Pilotes Elf were Patrick Tambay and Didier Pironi and both went on to win Grands Prix. They were followed over the years by Alain Prost, Pascal Fabre, Olivier Grouillard, Paul Belmondo, Eric Bernard, Erik Comas and Olivier Panis all of whom became F1 drivers. In addition Elf often picked up other good drivers and sponsored them, creating a generation of top French drivers in the 1980s and early 1990s. Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. ... The Paul Ricard Circuit was built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard. ... Patrick Tambay (born 25 June 1949 in Paris) was a French Formula One driver. ... Didier Pironi (March 26, 1952 - August 23, 1987) was a Formula One driver from France. ... Alain Prost pictured ahead of his Monaco Grand Prix win. ... Olivier Panis, born in Oullins, Lyon, September 2, 1966, is a retired French Formula One racing driver. ...

When Guiter retired Elf decided to change the policy and a revised programme was begun. This aimed to create a scheme for drivers, mechanics and engineers. It was called "La Filiere" and it now funds as many as eight drivers each year in Formula Renault Elf Campus and four in Formula 3. Unfortunately budgets have been cut and so there is no financial help beyond that and Frenchmen are no longer arriving in F1 as once they were able to do.. La Filiere is a program to promote young French racing drivers sponsored by Elf Aquitaine. ...