Re Agreement

Total Fina Elf.
2 October 2002


   TotalFinaElf and L'Institut Francais du Petrole sign a framework agreement 
                       for R&D cooperation

Paris, October 2, 2002 - TotalFinaElf and L'Institut Francais du Petrole (IFP)
signed a research and development agreement today aimed at setting strategic
industrial research guidelines and priorities for oil exploration and
production. The agreement, which will lead to the preparation of multi-year
research programs geared to medium and long-term challenges facing the industry,
will facilitate major R&D projects through the pooling of technical and human
resources in all areas of upstream oil operations.

IFP, Europe's largest applied research and development organization in the
hydrocarbon and automotive fields, will contribute their scientific and
technological development capabilities in the exploration and production sector,
underscoring their role as industry innovators. TotalFinaElf, by supporting and
actively participating in this research, will benefit from technological
innovations applicable to its acreage or to use in new upstream projects.

This framework agreement will apply to over ten million euros of joint research
programs in a wide range of projects as varied as heavy crude transport, complex
well drilling or modeling of multi-phase flows. By establishing a solid
foundation for cooperation between industry and research, the agreement will
facilitate research projects in partnership with oil services companies.    



Contacts Presse:

TOTALFINAELF 
Thomas Fell : 33 (1) 47 44 47 57

IFP 
Marie Cosquer-Debord : 33 (1) 47 52 62 07



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