Re Agreement

Total S.A.
29 November 2005


                                    PRESS RELEASE

      Total and the Sherpa Association reach agreement for the creation of a 
                solidarity Fund for humanitarian actions in Myanmar


Paris, November 29, 2005 - Total and the French Sherpa Association, an 
organisation that defends human rights worldwide and which represents eight 
Myanmar nationals who had started legal proceedings for arbitrary sequestration, 
have reached an agreement to put a definitive end to the legal proceedings 
initiated in 2002 at the Nanterre District Court.

The eight plaintiffs claimed that they 'had been forced by the Myanmar Army to 
work on the Yadana gas pipeline construction project and that their work could 
be classified as forced labour'.

Total upholds its categorical denial of any involvement in forced labour and all 
accusations of this nature. Forced labour in any form is unacceptable. The Group 
has always fought against forced labour, unfortunately not yet eradicated from 
Myanmar.

Further to this agreement and for humanitarian reasons, Total has agreed to 
compensate the plaintiffs. Total is to extend the compensation paid in the past 
to certain inhabitants of the region when reports of forced labour that were 
alleged to have taken place were brought to its attention.

Under the terms of this agreement, Total has decided to create a 5.2 million 
Euro solidarity fund. The major part of the money will be used to finance 
collective humanitarian measures locally, benefiting housing, health and 
education. It is further designed to compensate the plaintiffs and any other 
person who can demonstrate that they suffered a similar experience in the area 
near the Yadana pipeline during construction work. All measures financed will be 
implemented under the supervision of international humanitarian organisations 
selected with the full agreement of all the parties.

Maitre William Bourdon, President of the Sherpa Association emphasized that 
'this agreement constitutes an innovative, pragmatic and generous solution and 
is a way of resolving difficulties over conditions sometimes experienced by 
industrial groups operating in certain developing countries'. He added 'in 
addition to the compensation paid to the plaintiffs for events of which the 
Total Group claims it was totally unaware, this agreement enables us to bring 
concrete solutions to the difficult situations experienced by some of this 
country's nationals. This exemplary agreement sets a precedent which could be 
used to resolve similar future situations'.

Jean-Francois Lassalle, Total E&P Vice President Public Affairs added: 'this 
pragmatic action taken by the Sherpa association has led to an appropriate 
solution. This means that the personal situations of some individuals unknown to 
the organisation have now been resolved and that new collective measures can be 
introduced to complement the socio-economic programme already established by 
Total for the people living in the vicinity of the Yadana pipeline'.

Contacts :

Total   :Catherine Enck - tel. : [phone] - [e-mail] 
Sherpa  :Samira Daoud -   tel. : [phone] - [e-mail]


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