EFL Oil and Machinery

Synopsis
EFL Oil & Machinery is considered to be one of the largest companies in Gallia.

History
Unlike other colonies in Sirius, the planets of Ile-de-France and other core systems of Gallia proved to have abundant supplies of Oil. Utilizing nearly limitless oil deposits was more efficient for building up the new House than using other types of fuel and alternative means of generating energy. In 234 AGS (318 A.S.), a giant corporation named EFL Oil, of which the Crown owned a majority share, was formed to control all extraction, transportation, and processing of oil throughout Gallia. In 440 AGS, when space colonization was on the rise, EFL absorbed several large shipbuilding and engineering companies, becoming EFL Oil & Machinery S.A. (EFL). In its new state, the corporation was responsible for building many of the currently operating Gallic space stations, including several shipyards and space colonies. EFL, in cooperation with Ile-de-France Shipping, had also built the entire rapid space transportation system of Gallia that includes numerous jump gates and trade lanes. When the invasion of Sirius by Gallic forces began, further manufacturing of EFL's jump gate and trade lane component technology was licensed to Solar Engineering, so that EFL could focus on supporting the invasion forces. This decision remains highly controversial within EFL's management, but the Crown's involvement in EFL serves as a guarantee against Solar being able to supplant EFL's ownership of the technology.

Nowadays, EFL is the largest corporation in Gallia, with the total value of its enterprises estimated to be five hundred billion credits, and the number of employees counting as high as six million. It is operating in virtually every field of the Gallic economy, both planetside and in space. In addition to building stations, the corporation is also one of the largest station operators in Gallic space. Despite the enormous damage caused by the Second Gallic War, EFL had sizeable reserves that were used to compensate the losses. Yet, reserves are easily depleted, and the war is not yet over. Moreover, the Sirius invasion is now underway, which also puts the company under considerable strain due to its contracts with defense agencies and with the Royal Navy in particular. Other corporations operating in Gallic space are either smaller, like IDF or Solar, or are less dependant on the government, like GMS. EFL is often considered the symbol of excessive involvement by the Crown in Gallia's economy, which makes the corporation a favoured target for terrorist groups like the Maquis. All these factors combined are expected to cause serious problems for the corporation's long term finances unless it undertakes significant restructuring.

The space headquarters of EFL are located at Chartres Space Colony. Planet side headquarters, as with most other Gallic corporations, are located on New Paris.

Known Bases

 * Briancon Station, Dauphine