Hess Corporation formerly Amerada Hess Corporation is a combination of two companies: Amerada Corporation, an oil producer and Explorer Company founded in 1920 and Hess Oil and Chemical, an oil refinery company, founded in 1966. A merger took place in December 1968 between the two companies forming Amerada Hess Corporation which over the years acquired a number of different arms such as a gas station network, wholesale and retail oil, natural gas & electricity marketing business, refineries and bulk storage facilities.