Stmt.re Production Start-Up

Total Fina Elf.
23 September 2002


Gulf of Mexico : Aconcagua Starts Production

Paris, September 23, 2002 - TotalFinaElf announces the start-up of production of
the Aconcagua natural gas field, 50% owned and operated by its wholly owned 
subsidiary TotalFinaElf E&P USA, in deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Located in the Mississippi Canyon area, Aconcagua is one of three natural gas 
fields pooled together to use the Canyon Express gas gathering system operated 
by TotalFinaElf.

This system, 92 kilometres long, links the Aconcagua, Camden Hill (TotalFinaElf,
16.7%) and King's Peak gas production to the Canyon Station platform operated by 
Williams Field Services in Main Pass 261.

At a water depth of 2,198 meters, the project marks a world record in deepwater 
production. Its completion necessitated the development of advanced subsea 
technologies, including subsea multiphase meters to determine production from 
each individual well.

Initial production from one well at Aconcagua and one at King's Peak will be 
progressively increased over the next two months as remaining wells from the 
three fields are connected to the system, reaching a production plateau of 500 
million cubic feet of gas per day, with approximately 20,000 barrels of oil 
equivalent for TotalFinaElf.

Canyon Express is an integral part of TotalFinaElf's deepwater development 
strategy. The Group's partners in the project are Marathon Oil Company, BP, 
Pioneer Natural Resources and Nippon Oil Exploration.



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