Stmt re Mexican Terminal

Total S.A.
26 October 2006



2, place de la Coupole
La Defense 6
92 400 Courbevoie France
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Jerome SCHMITT 
Laurent WOLFFSHEIM 
Philippe HERGAUX

Robert HAMMOND (U.S.)
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

TOTAL S.A.
Capital 6 062 233 950 euros
542 051 180 R.C.S. Nanterre

www.total.com        

      Commercial Operations Begin at the Altamira Regasification Terminal
                                    in Mexico

Paris - October 26, 2006 - Located near Tampico on the eastern coast of Mexico,
the Altamira  liquefied   natural  gas  (LNG) regasification  terminal,   in 
which  Total  has  a 25% interest, yesterday welcomed President Vicente Fox at a
ceremony marking the recent official startup of commercial operations.

Construction of the terminal began in 2003 and was completed on schedule and on
budget, with an excellent safety record. The first of its kind in Mexico, the 
facility will make a significant contribution to the country's gas supply.

Total owns a 25% interest in the two companies involved in the project. Terminal
de LNG de Altamira (50% Shell, 25% Mitsui, 25% Total) owns and operates the
regasification terminal, while marketing company Gas del Litoral (75% Shell, 25%
Total) has signed a 15-year contract with Mexican electric utility Comision
Federal de Electricidad (CFE) to supply 5 billion cubic metres of gas a year
from the new terminal.

Total and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

A trailblazer in the LNG industry since 1964, Total has interests in six of the
world's largest liquefaction plants, which represent around 40% of global LNG
production capacity. More than one-quarter of the gas produced by Total in 2005
was dedicated to the LNG industry.

Total is strengthening its positions across the LNG chain, as illustrated by the
recent contract signatures to acquire stakes in Brass LNG in Nigeria and the
Ichthys LNG project in Australia. Total also has interests in four
regasification terminal projects to secure additional markets for production
from the Middle East, the Gulf of Guinea and, in the future, Northern Europe.

India's Hazira terminal came on stream in April 2005, while Mexico's Altamira
terminal began operations in late September 2006 and France's Fos Cavaou
terminal is scheduled for commissioning in 2007. And from 2009, Total will have
regasification capacity in the Sabine Pass terminal on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

                                      * * *

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



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
               SLRFIR