The Company's purpose, directly or indirectly, in all countries: any activity related to the sectors of processing, marketing of hydrocarbons and all mineral substances or natural resources, including participation in all types of industrial or commercial projects related to the activity of transport, processing, distribution or marketing of natural gas and natural gas liquids, or related to the activity of generation and/or marketing of electricity from natural gas. It may perform any act and exercise any activity that are directly or indirectly related to its purpose. It may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad (it being specified that the company may hold in Switzerland a participation in a real estate company if (i) the shares of the latter are listed on a stock exchange in Switzerland or if (ii) the real estate company has as its purpose the acquisition of buildings with exclusively commercial use.). It may acquire, hold, encumber with limited real rights, administer and alienate real estate in Switzerland (with exclusively commercial use only) and abroad. It may grant loans or financing in any form to any affiliated company (including parent companies and their subsidiaries) or guarantee or provide other securities for all obligations of such affiliated companies, without regard to a concentration risk and with or without remuneration.