A partnership to sell and market aviation fuel in Europe has been agreed by Statoil Aviation and Texaco Global Aviation Marketing.
The two companies have equal interests in the Jet Fuel Alliance (JFA), which will coordinate their European supply services to airlines.
Both will align network development activities, operations, logistics and technical service resources through the partnership.
"Now we've formed an alliance, a single representative can visit each customer on behalf of both partners," explains Per Rüdén, general manager of Statoil Aviation.
"That saves both time and money, and customers benefit because they only have to deal with one person from the two of us."
The alliance partners will also be able to negotiate entry into European airports where neither is currently represented.
According to Mr Rüdén, Statoil's share of the Scandinavian market – at just over 30 per cent – represents its biggest advantage as an aviation fuel supplier.
And surveys by World Jet Fuel Report in recent years show that airlines have ranked the group as the best regional marketer of this product in Europe.
Texaco does not have a particularly large share of the Scandinavian aviation fuel market, but comes in fourth place on a global basis.
The two partners will continue to operate under their respective names and to maintain their separate identities. The JFA designation will be used in marketing and operational contexts.
Germany's DEA Mineraloel signed a letter of intent this week with Statoil and Texaco on joining the alliance later this year.