▁company . ▁J ens ▁St ol ten berg , ▁the ▁then ▁Norwegian ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁commented ▁that ▁he ▁viewed ▁the ▁mer ger ▁as ▁" the ▁start ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁era ... cre ating ▁a ▁global ▁energy ▁company ▁and ▁strength ening ▁Norway ’ s ▁oil ▁and ▁gas ▁industry ." ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁noted ▁within ▁the ▁anal yst ▁community ▁that ▁a ▁proposal ▁will ▁create ▁an ▁entity ▁with ▁much ▁more ▁compet itive ▁strength ▁versus ▁its ▁much ▁larger ▁European ▁riv als , ▁including ▁B P , ▁Total , ▁and ▁Sh ell , ▁while ▁also ▁increasing ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁make ▁strateg ic ▁ac quis itions , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁nin th ▁largest ▁oil ▁company ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁and ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁ 4 8 th ▁largest ▁company ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁on ▁the ▁current ▁Fort une ▁Global ▁ 5 0 0 ▁list ▁with ▁a ▁re venue ▁of ▁N OK ▁ 4 8 0 ▁billion . ▁ ▁The ▁company ' s ▁management ▁team ▁was ▁initially ▁to ▁be ▁led ▁by ▁President ▁and ▁CE O ▁Hel ge ▁Lund ▁( who ▁previously ▁held ▁the ▁same ▁posts ▁at ▁Stato il ), ▁with ▁E iv ind ▁Re iten , ▁the ▁President ▁and ▁CE O ▁of ▁H ydro , ▁acting ▁as ▁Chair man . ▁However , ▁ ▁Re iten ▁decided ▁to ▁res ign ▁as ▁chairman ▁three ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁mer ger ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁possible ▁cor ruption ▁case ▁in ▁H ydro ' s ▁former ▁oil ▁division . ▁The ▁Vice - Ch air ▁and