Re Gas Project

Total Fina Elf.
8 March 2002

Catherine ENCK
Tel [phone]

Thomas FELL
Tel [phone]

Sophie LE CONG NEN-ALIOT
Tel [phone]

Patricia MARIE
Tel [phone]

Christine MELVILLE
Tel [phone]

Christine de CHAMPEAUX
Tel [phone]

Thomas SAUNDERS
Tel [phone]

Laurence FRANCISCO
Tel [phone]

TOTAL FINA ELF S.A.
Capital 7 050 977 980 euros
542 051 180 R.C.S. Nanterre

www.totalfinaelf.com



Snohvit PDO approved by the Norwegian Parliament: TotalFinaElf to participate in
the construction of the first LNG plant in Europe 

Paris, March 8, 2002 -- The Norwegian parliament (Storting), yesterday approved
the plan for development and operation (PDO) of the Snohvit project, in the
Barents Sea. This gas project involves the development of three fields offshore
(Snohvit, Albatross and Askeladd) and the construction of a liquefied natural
gas (LNG) plant at Melkoya, near Hammerfest, in northern Norway. 

TotalFinaElf holds an 18.4% interest in this project, which is operated by
Statoil (22.9%). The remaining partners are Petoro (30%), Gaz de France (12%),
Norsk Hydro (10%), Amerada Hess (3.26%), RWE-DEA (2.81%) and Svenska Petroleum
(1.24%).

The development of Snohvit, at an investment of around 5.2 billion euros,
constitutes the first development in the Barents Sea and involves the
construction of the first LNG plant in Europe. The Melkoya single-train LNG
facility, with a capacity of 4.2 million tonnes per year, is expected to come on
stream in 2006. 

TotalFinaElf is an established actor in the LNG market, with global sales of
close to 6 million tonnes per year in 2001. The Group holds interests in five
LNG plants around the world, located in the Middle East, Indonesia and in
Nigeria. 

 




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