A merger preceded by more than 80 years of history
1920
 A group of investors from Antwerp creates Compagnie Financière Belge des Pétroles (PetroFina), whose first venture was exploring for, producing and refining oil in Romania through a company named Concordia.
PetroFina and Pure Oil of Delaware create Purfina to market petroleum products in Belgium and the Netherlands.
1923
 In a letter dated September 20, 1923, French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré asks Ernest Mercier to create a company to "develop oil production under French control."
1924
Compagnie Française des Pétroles (CFP) is officially created on March 28, 1924. Agreements signed on May 17, 1924 and July 5, 1931 govern the company's relations with the State.
1929
Compagnie Française de Raffinage (CFR) is created by CFP. Shareholders include the State and a number of independent French distribution companies.
1939
 Régie Autonome des Pétroles (RAP) is created to "explore for, develop and transport liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in mainland France."
1941
Société Nationale des Pétroles d'Aquitaine (SNPA) is created. The State is the majority shareholder, alongside private investors.
1945
Bureau de Recherche des Pétroles (BRP), later to become the majority shareholder in Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (SNEA), is created.
1947
The Group's first distribution subsidiary, Compagnie Française de Distribution des Pétroles en Afrique, is created. It is renamed Total Outre-Mer in 1991.
1950
Société Industrielle Belge des Pétroles (SIBP), a refiner, is created.
1954
The Total brand is launched.
PetroFina diversifies into petrochemicals.
1966
RAP and BRP are merged to create Entreprise de Recherches et d'Activités Pétrolières (ERAP), a State-owned corporation. SNPA is ERAP's most important subsidiary.
1967
Special advertising campaign leads up to the launch of the Elf brand during the night of April 27 to 28.
1968
Total Chimie is created.
1970
Takeover of Antar.
1971
Ato Chimie, an equally-owned joint venture between Total Chimie and Union Chimique
Elf Aquitaine (UCEA), is created.
1974
CFR acquires a majority interest in Hutchinson-Mapa.
1976
SNPA is renamed Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (SNEA). ERAP owns around two-thirds of SNEA's capital, with the other third held by approximately 150,000 private shareholders.
1983
Atochem, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNEA, is created.
1985
Compagnie Française des Pétroles is renamed Total CFP.
1986
In the first phase of privatization of SNEA, private investors increase their aggregate stake from 33% to 44%.
1988
PetroFina acquires 100% ownership of SIBP.
1991
Total CFP is renamed Total.
1992
The State sells more of its SNEA interest, reducing its majority stake to 50.8%.
The State's interest in Total is reduced from 31.7% to 5.4%. This holding is sold off gradually until, by May 1998, the State no longer has an interest in Total.
1994
SNEA is privatized.
1996
The State sells its residual interest in SNEA.
1999
After the merger with PetroFina, Total is renamed Totalfina.
PetroFina Total Elf
The birth of TotalFinaElf
September 13, 1999:
The Boards of Directors of Totalfina and Elf Aquitaine propose a friendly merger of the two companies to shareholders.
February 9, 2000:
The European Commission approves the Totalfina and Elf Aquitaine merger.
March 22, 2000:
Combined General Meeting. The Group's parent company is renamed Total Fina Elf S.A.
September 14, 2000:
TotalFinaElf owns 99.5% of Elf Aquitaine following an exchange offer for Elf Aquitaine shares in France and North America.
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