Re Agreement

Total S.A.
2 October 2003

                   Total Takes a 25% Stake In the Mexican LNG 
                     Re-gasification Terminal of Altamira

Paris - October 2, 2003 - The Total Group announces that it has signed an
agreement with an affiliate of the Royal Dutch/ Shell group of companies to
acquire a 25% stake in the Altamira LNG re-gasification terminal project. The
LNG Terminal, located in the Port of Altamira on the eastern coast of Mexico
near Tampico, is expected to start operation in the second half of 2006. The
transaction remains subject to the approval of the relevant Mexican authorities.

Once the transaction is completed, Total will hold a 25% interest in two project
companies. One is the marketing company Gas del Litoral, which was awarded by
the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) the contract to supply 5 billion
cubic metres per annum of natural gas for 15 years, from the new LNG re-
gasification terminal. The other project company, Terminal de LNG de Altamira,
will build, own and operate the terminal in the Port of Altamira.

'With the signing of this agreement, Total has taken yet another important step
to grow the company's worldwide LNG business,' said Yves-Louis Darricarrere,
Total Executive Vice President, President of Gas and Power. 'We are pleased to
be working with Shell to provide Mexico with a secure gas supply in Altamira
that the country needs to fuel its economic growth.'

This agreement marks Total's first involvement in a LNG re-gasification
terminal. Total is already a major LNG player, commercialising close to 6
million tonnes in 2002. The company holds stakes in five natural gas
liquefaction plants worldwide.

Total is the fourth largest oil and gas company in the world with operations in
more than 120 countries. Total's activities cover the whole energy chain of the
petroleum industry: exploration, oil and gas production, refining and marketing,
trading and power generation. The Group is also a major player in chemicals
through its chemicals branch, Atofina. Total has 121,000 employees worldwide.
More information can be found on the company's website: www.total.com






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