Petrofina
Encyclopedia
Petrofina was a Belgian
oil company
which merged with Total
in 1999 to form TotalFina, but the name has now been changed back to Total after another merger. In the United States, Fina's former refining and marketing operations are now owned by Texas-based Alon USA
.
Petrofina was founded February 25, 1920 by Hector Carlier
his brother Fernand and Aloys Van de Vyvere as an Antwerp-based group called Compagnie Financière Belge des Pétroles, but changed to PetroFina to reflect their telegraph address name.
Petrofina's Canadian retail operations in eastern Canada were sold to the Canadian government and became part of Petro Canada.
Petrofina merged with Total S.A.
of France
to form TotalFina and with Elf in 2000 to form TotalFinaElf. The company's current name is Total S.A.
(since 2003).
, where the firm operated an oil refinery and marketed gasoline through service stations in Texas, Oklahoma
and New Mexico
. American Petrofina, as the United States
operation was called, further expanded its presence in the US through the purchase of several small oil companies, the largest being the Cosden Oil Company from W.R. Grace in 1963, which gave FINA a very large chain of service stations in Texas
and New Mexico
along with an oil refinery in Big Spring, Texas
.
The FINA brand appeared on gasoline
and other petroleum products at Panhandle stations in 1958, with the service stations rebranded as FINA in 1959 and service stations acquired through purchase of Cosden and other companies also converted to the FINA brand. In 1961, FINA introduced its Pink Air promotional campaign noting that while FINA gasolines were loaded with all the same ingredients that made their fuels "Exactly As Good As The Best" adding that only at FINA stations could motorists get "Pink Air" for their tire
s to keep them from deteriorating. In its "Pink Air" ads, Fina (then undergoing a major expansion of its marketing territory which encompassed the Mid-Continent region from Texas to Minnesota) noted that Pink Air was arriving at new FINA stations as fast as they could be opened and set a goal of having Pink Air in all of its stations by May 1966 - five years later.
In 1966, when "Pink Air" finally arrived at every FINA station, FINA replaced that campaign with a new one regarding an ingredient in its gasoline called "PFLASH." At a time when other US oil companies were promoting their gasoline products with campaigns such as Exxon/Esso
's "Put A Tiger in Your Tank!", Shell's "Platformate" additive that improved gas mileage, Texaco's invitation to "Trust Your Car to the Man Who Wears The Star" and Mobil's "Detergent gasoline"; ""PFLASH", was promoted as an ingredient in FINA gasoline that would improve driving pleasure by "turning red lights green," "smoothing out rough roads," "improving the food at roadside restaurants" and "making you feel less sorry you ever got a driver's license." FINA stations even offered free "Pflash" bumper stickers to motorists who pulled in for gasoline purchases.
In 1973, American Petrofina expanded its marketing area to include Florida
, Georgia
and several other Southeastern states following the purchase of BP
's marketing assets including service stations, terminals and jobber contracts, converting them to the FINA brand. Another expansion of FINA's marketing operations came in 1984, when American Petrofina purchased several thousand service stations from Oklahoma-based Champlin Refining Company following that firm's closing of its Enid, Oklahoma
refinery. The Champlin assets were rebranded as FINA stations in several Mid-Continent states including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas
, Nebraska
and Iowa
among others.
Petrofina's U.S. subsidiary, Fina Inc., announced that it will move its headquarters to Houston from Plano, Texas
in 2000. Fina Inc. planned to occupy 149000 square foot in the World Houston Plaza building, near George Bush Intercontinental Airport
.
In 2005, TOTAL Petrochemicals USA, Inc., moved to offices in downtown Houston at 1201 Louisiana St. TOTAL Petrochemicals USA, Inc. has retained the petrochemicals operations of the former Fina, Inc and the Port Arthur, Texas refinery.
. ALON assets include the former FINA refinery at Big Spring, Texas and the FINA brand name. ALON supplies gasoline and other petroleum products to 1,200 FINA stations directly and through distributors in seven Southwestern states including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
, Louisiana
, New Mexico, Arizona and the southern portion of Colorado
. ALON also owns Southwest Convenience Stores, LLC
, which is the largest franchiser of 7-Eleven
convenience stores in the United States. Southwest owns and operates 160 7-Eleven stores in West Texas and New Mexico, each of which sell FINA gasoline.
The Fina Port Arthur refinery is still owned by Total.
's Busch Series (now Nationwide series) teams. Fina was LaJoie's primary sponsor from 1993-1994, and then again from 1996-1998, which included two Busch Series championships in 1996 and 1997 in the #74 Fina Chevrolets owned by Bill Baumgartner.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
oil company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
which merged with Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
in 1999 to form TotalFina, but the name has now been changed back to Total after another merger. In the United States, Fina's former refining and marketing operations are now owned by Texas-based Alon USA
Alon USA
Alon USA Energy Inc. or Alon USA . Alon USA Energy, Inc. is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and engages in refining and marketing petroleum products primarily in the southwestern and south central regions of the United States. Alon USA was formed after Alon Israel Oil Company Ltd, the largest...
.
Petrofina was founded February 25, 1920 by Hector Carlier
Hector Carlier
Hector Carlier was a Belgian banker and industrialist who was the son of banker Jean Baptist Ferdinand Carlier and Marie de Roy. He was married with Amelia Goossens and together they had three children. He is one of the founders of the Belgian oil company Petrofina...
his brother Fernand and Aloys Van de Vyvere as an Antwerp-based group called Compagnie Financière Belge des Pétroles, but changed to PetroFina to reflect their telegraph address name.
Petrofina's Canadian retail operations in eastern Canada were sold to the Canadian government and became part of Petro Canada.
Petrofina merged with Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to form TotalFina and with Elf in 2000 to form TotalFinaElf. The company's current name is Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
(since 2003).
FINA in the United States - "Pink Air" and "Pflash"
Petrofina expanded its operations to the United States in 1956 with the purchase of Texas-based Panhandle Oil Company, which was headquartered in Wichita Falls, TexasWichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, where the firm operated an oil refinery and marketed gasoline through service stations in Texas, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. American Petrofina, as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
operation was called, further expanded its presence in the US through the purchase of several small oil companies, the largest being the Cosden Oil Company from W.R. Grace in 1963, which gave FINA a very large chain of service stations in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
along with an oil refinery in Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
.
The FINA brand appeared on gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and other petroleum products at Panhandle stations in 1958, with the service stations rebranded as FINA in 1959 and service stations acquired through purchase of Cosden and other companies also converted to the FINA brand. In 1961, FINA introduced its Pink Air promotional campaign noting that while FINA gasolines were loaded with all the same ingredients that made their fuels "Exactly As Good As The Best" adding that only at FINA stations could motorists get "Pink Air" for their tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s to keep them from deteriorating. In its "Pink Air" ads, Fina (then undergoing a major expansion of its marketing territory which encompassed the Mid-Continent region from Texas to Minnesota) noted that Pink Air was arriving at new FINA stations as fast as they could be opened and set a goal of having Pink Air in all of its stations by May 1966 - five years later.
In 1966, when "Pink Air" finally arrived at every FINA station, FINA replaced that campaign with a new one regarding an ingredient in its gasoline called "PFLASH." At a time when other US oil companies were promoting their gasoline products with campaigns such as Exxon/Esso
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
's "Put A Tiger in Your Tank!", Shell's "Platformate" additive that improved gas mileage, Texaco's invitation to "Trust Your Car to the Man Who Wears The Star" and Mobil's "Detergent gasoline"; ""PFLASH", was promoted as an ingredient in FINA gasoline that would improve driving pleasure by "turning red lights green," "smoothing out rough roads," "improving the food at roadside restaurants" and "making you feel less sorry you ever got a driver's license." FINA stations even offered free "Pflash" bumper stickers to motorists who pulled in for gasoline purchases.
In 1973, American Petrofina expanded its marketing area to include Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and several other Southeastern states following the purchase of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
's marketing assets including service stations, terminals and jobber contracts, converting them to the FINA brand. Another expansion of FINA's marketing operations came in 1984, when American Petrofina purchased several thousand service stations from Oklahoma-based Champlin Refining Company following that firm's closing of its Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
refinery. The Champlin assets were rebranded as FINA stations in several Mid-Continent states including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
among others.
Petrofina's U.S. subsidiary, Fina Inc., announced that it will move its headquarters to Houston from Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
in 2000. Fina Inc. planned to occupy 149000 square foot in the World Houston Plaza building, near George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
.
In 2005, TOTAL Petrochemicals USA, Inc., moved to offices in downtown Houston at 1201 Louisiana St. TOTAL Petrochemicals USA, Inc. has retained the petrochemicals operations of the former Fina, Inc and the Port Arthur, Texas refinery.
US FINA assets now owned by ALON USA
Since the Total-Petrofina merger in 1999, all of FINA's former marketing assets and the Big Spring refinery have been owned by Texas-based Alon USAAlon USA
Alon USA Energy Inc. or Alon USA . Alon USA Energy, Inc. is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and engages in refining and marketing petroleum products primarily in the southwestern and south central regions of the United States. Alon USA was formed after Alon Israel Oil Company Ltd, the largest...
. ALON assets include the former FINA refinery at Big Spring, Texas and the FINA brand name. ALON supplies gasoline and other petroleum products to 1,200 FINA stations directly and through distributors in seven Southwestern states including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, New Mexico, Arizona and the southern portion of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. ALON also owns Southwest Convenience Stores, LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
, which is the largest franchiser of 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
convenience stores in the United States. Southwest owns and operates 160 7-Eleven stores in West Texas and New Mexico, each of which sell FINA gasoline.
The Fina Port Arthur refinery is still owned by Total.
NASCAR Sponsorship
Fina was a major sponsor of NASCAR teams in the 1990s, most notably of Randy LaJoieRandy LaJoie
Randall LaJoie was a driver in the NASCAR Busch Series , where he is a two-time champion. Presently, he does not have a full-time ride. He is the father of racers Casey and Corey LaJoie.-Early racing career:LaJoie started racing go-karts when he was 12 years old...
's Busch Series (now Nationwide series) teams. Fina was LaJoie's primary sponsor from 1993-1994, and then again from 1996-1998, which included two Busch Series championships in 1996 and 1997 in the #74 Fina Chevrolets owned by Bill Baumgartner.