TECNIMONT (Italian group MONTEDISON; turnover of EUR 725 million in 1999) will be acquiring control of SOFREGAZ (turnover of EUR 100 million in 1999), the engineering subsidiary of GAZ DE FRANCE. The transaction will take place via a capital increase reserved to TECNIMONT which will acquire 66% of SOFREGAZ at a cost of between 25 and 50 million euros , the remaining 34% being kept by GAZ DE FRANCE.