Total to Launch Construction of New Unit at Its...

TOTAL S.A.
                  Total has sanctioned construction of a 1-million-ton-per-year desulfurization
unit at its Leuna refinery in Germany. Scheduled for commissioning in fall 2009,
the new unit will supply the domestic market with ultra-low sulfur home heating
oil.

The EUR 120-million investment will further enhance the performance of the Leuna
refinery, which is already one of the most efficient in Europe. With a capacity
of 11.4 million tons per year, the facility has extensive deep conversion
capacity allowing it to process sour crude oil without producing heavy fuel oil.

The investment is in line with Total's strategy of upgrading its refining base.
It follows on from the commissioning of a distillate hydrocracker at the
Normandy refinery in late 2006, the construction of a desulfurization unit and
steam methane reformer at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in the United Kingdom and
desulfurization capacity extensions carried out or under way at the Feyzin,
Flandres and Provence refineries in France.

In addition to the Leuna refinery, Total also holds an interest in Schwedt
refinery in Germany, where it markets around 22 million metric tons of petroleum
products and owns more than 1,000 service stations. Total also has chemicals
operations in Germany.

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

TOTAL S.A.

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Jérôme SCHMITT
Laurent WOLFFSHEIM
Philippe HERGAUX
Sandrine SABOUREAU
Laurent KETTENMEYER
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Robert HAMMOND (U.S.)
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www.total.com