Total is the world’s fourth-largest oil and gas company and second-largest solar energy operator with SunPower. With operations in more than 130 countries, we have more than 100,000 employees who are fully committed to better energy. Learn about Total's businesses in just a few minutes with this vibrant, explanatory video built around our baseline “Committed to Better Energy”. Created in 1924 to enable France to play a key role in the great oil and gas adventure, Total Group has always been driven by an authentic pioneering spirit. It has discovered some of the most productive fields in the world. Its refineries have created increasingly sophisticated products and its extensive distribution network has rolled out an ever-expanding range of services. As for the Group’s culture, it has been forged on the ground, underpinned by an unwavering commitment to safety and performance. Throughout its long history, Total was to frequently cross paths with two other oil companies, one French – Elf Aquitaine – and the other Belgian – Petrofina. Sometimes competitors, some-times partners, they gradually learned to work together. Their talent lay in being able to combine their strengths against their competitors. Such was the major challenge behind the mergers of 1999. They gave rise to the fourth oil major, a group built on a wealth of expertise and experience.