The Company's purpose is the trade, commerce, transportation, storage and distribution of crude oil, petroleum products, gas, natural gas, energy and all other petrochemical products and raw materials, as well as coal and agricultural products, including fertilizers, and the exercise of all related activities and services. The Company may, in Switzerland and abroad, create subsidiaries and branches and take participations in, and more generally, participate in, all entities and enterprises having a direct or indirect relationship with its purpose. It may also provide services to any entity of the group to which the Company belongs or to third parties. It may also provide loans or grant guarantees and securities of any kind to other entities of the group to which it belongs, to its shareholders or to third parties. The Company may, in general, carry out, on its own account or on behalf of third parties, any activity or operation, notably administrative, commercial, financial, technical or management and consulting, directly or indirectly related to the aforementioned purpose or likely to promote it. Within the framework of its purpose, the Company may also acquire and hold Swiss real estate or shares of real estate companies holding Swiss real estate, provided they have an exclusively commercial or industrial use. Furthermore, and always within the framework of its objectives, the Company may acquire and hold real estate or shares of real estate companies located abroad.