Norway: Snøhvit starts production

TOTAL S.A.
                  

Total announces that the Snøhvit gas field, in the Barents Sea, has started
production.

Total holds an 18.4% interest in this project, which is operated by Statoil
(33.53%). The partners are Petoro (30%), Gaz de France (12%), Hess (3.26%) and
RWE-DEA (2.81%).

Natural gas produced offshore in a 310-340 metres water depth on the Snøhvit
field is sent onshore through a 143 kilometres multiphase pipeline to a 4.2
million tonnes per year liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Melkøya, near
Hammerfest, in northern Norway, where it is processed. The LNG will be shipped
to European and US markets. The CO2 extracted from the natural gas is
re-injected in a Snøhvit field reservoir.

Contractual LNG deliveries are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Gas production is expected to ramp up to a plateau in 2008 of nearly 5.7 billion
cubic metres per year (550 million cubic feet per day). Nearly 23,000 barrels
per day of condensate and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will also be produced at
plateau in the Melkøya plant.

The Snøhvit project is the first gas development in the Barents Sea and has
involved the construction of the first LNG plant in arctic conditions.

In order to market its one billion cubic meter per year own share of natural gas
production, Total has chartered on a long term basis a newly built LNG carrier
designed to operate in artic conditions, with a 145,000 cubic metres capacity of
LNG.

Total and LNG

Total holds interests in four regasification terminals: Altamira in Mexico, Fos
Cavaou in France, Hazira in India, and South Hook in the United Kingdom, and
reserved capacity in Sabine Pass in the USA. The Group is strengthening its
position across the LNG chain, as illustrated by the recent signatures to
acquire a stake in the Brass LNG project in Nigeria, in the Ichthys LNG project
in Australia, in the Qatargas 2 project in Qatar and the agreement with Gazprom
to cooperate in the study for the development of the first phase of the Shtokman
field.

.../...

Total in Norway

Since the late sixties, the Group has played a major role in the development of
a large number of fields in the Norwegian North Sea. Total holds interests in
sixty-six production permits on the Norwegian continental shelf, ten of which it
operates. In 2006, Norway was the largest contributor to the Group's equity
production, with an average of 372,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

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Total is one of the world's major oil and gas groups, with activities in more
than 130 countries. Its 95,000 employees put their expertise to work in every
part of the industry - exploration and production of oil and natural gas,
refining and marketing, gas trading and electricity. Total is working to keep
the world supplied with energy, both today and tomorrow. The Group is also a
first rank player in chemicals. www.total.com