Our Businesses

Upstream

The Upstream business encompasses oil and natural gas exploration, development and production, along with our coal, gas and power activities. Exploration and Production has activities in more than 40 countries with production in 30 of these countries. Our main production regions are the North Sea, Africa and the Middle East, followed by Southeast Asia and North and South America.

  • Exploration & Production 2/4 M treatment and production platform on Ekofisk field in the North Sea The Ekofisk platform in the North Sea.
  • Exploration & Production Aerial view of the Anguille platform offshore Gabon Aerial view of the AGMP platform on the Anguille field, offshore Gabon.
  • Exploration & Production Dalia FPSO, Angola The floating production storage and offloading unit on Angola’s deep offshore Dalia field.
  • Exploration & Production Elgin wellhead and PUQ platforms in the U.K. Located offshore Scotland, Elgin-Franklin comprises two well-head platforms (Elgin and Franklin) and a production, utilities and quarters (PUQ) platform.
  • Exploration & Production Helipad on the Alima FPU on the offshore Moho-Bilondo field, Republic of the Congo. Helipad on the Alima floating production unit on the deep-offshore Moho-Bilondo field (Republic of the Congo).
  • Exploration & Production Akpo FPSO in tow. The Akpo floating production, storage and offloading unit in tow offshore Nigeria.
  • Exploration & Production D-Island, one of Kashagan icebound artificial islands D-Island, one of Kashagan icebound artificial islands.
  • Exploration & Production Pazflor FPSO offshore Angola The Pazflor floating production storage and offloading unit is located at about 150 kilometers offshore the Congolese coasts, in water depths ranging from 600 to 1,200 meters.
  • Exploration & Production Girassol platform. The MSV Regalia accomodation and service rig on the deepwater Girassol field offshore Angola.
  • Exploration & Production Aerial view of the loading jetty at the PetroCedeño upgrader, Venezuela Aerial view of the loading jetty for petcoke and sulfur at the Petrocedeno upgrader in José, Venezuela.
  • Exploration & Production Saibos FDS on the Rosa field offshore Angola The Saibos FDS crane and pipelay vessel, used for ultra-deep subsea work on the Rosa field, offshore Angola.
  • Exploration & Production Aerial view of the Snohvit plant offshore Norway Aerial view of the offshore Snohvit liquefied natural gas plant on Melkoya island, Norway, with an LNG carrier nearby.
  • Exploration & Production Shah-Deniz field in the Caspian Sea The Shah-Deniz field, in the Caspian sea, offshore Azerbaïdjan.
  • Exploration & Production Torpille Platform off Port-Gentil in Gabon Aerial view of Torpille platform, offshore Port-Gentil in Gabon.
  • Exploration & Production The Total Centre Scientifique et Technique Jean Feger in Pau (France) The Jean Feger Scientific and Technical Center in Pau (France) specializes in geological and oil and gas research.
  • Gas & Power Pipe rack at the Balhaf plant, Yemen The central pipe rack for liquefaction trains 1 & 2, during construction of the Balhaf plant in Yemen. The plant will be supplied feed gas via a 325-kilometer pipeline.
  • Gas & Power The GasAndes pipeline, which crosses the Andes to link the Argentine grid to Santiago in Chile The 460-km Gasandes pipeline crosses the Andes to link Argentine’s grid to Santiago in Chile.
  • Gas & Power Izaute natural gas storage center, southwestern France TIGF natural gas center of Izaute in southwestern France.
  • Gas & Power Seawater intake at the Taweelah A1 desalination unit, United Arab Emirates Seawater intake at the Taweelah A1 desalination unit in Abu Dhabi.
  • Gas & Power Le Houga building in Lussagnet, France Photovoltaic solar installations for the new High Environmental Quality buildings at the Lussagnet gas storage center in France. View of Le Houga Building.
  • Gas & Power Area around Lussagnet, France Rapeseed fields nearby Lussagnet gas storage center in France.
  • Gas & Power Spent fuel pool in La Hague, France Pool E used to store spent fuel in the Areva spent fuel reprocessing plant in La Hague, near Cherbourg in France.
  • Gas & Power Mechanical shovel at the Forzando South mine, South Africa Coal extraction at the Forzando South Mine in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province.
  • Gas & Power DiMethyl-Ether (DME) promotion View of the DME (DiMethylEther) promotion plant of Niigata in Japan.

Total's Upstream segment aims at continuing to combine long-term growth and profitability at the levels of the best in the industry.


Total evaluates exploration opportunities based on a variety of geological, technical, political and economic factors (including taxes and licence terms), and on projected oil and gas prices.


Total is the world's fifth largest publicly-traded integrated international oil and gas company (1). In 2009, the Upstream business has invested €13,2 billion and employed 17,192 people. Our average daily production of liquids and natural gas was 2.38 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2009. Liquids accounted for approximately 56% and natural gas accounted for approximately 44% of Total's combined production of liquids and gas in 2010 on an oil equivalent basis. We will leverage a solid and diversified portfolio of proved reserves of 10.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (2).


Total has been active in the downstream segment of the gas chain for 60 years (mainly in production). We are also a leader in the gas market, with fast-growing positions in liquefied natural gas (LNG). Total is also helping to secure the future of energy by progressively expanding its energy offerings and developing complementary next generation energy activities (solar, biomass, nuclear), intensifying research and development to develop "clean" sources of energy and contribute to the moderation of energy demand and the fight against global warming.

(1) Based on market capitalization (in dollars) as of December 31, 2010

(2) Based on a year-end Brent price of 79.02 $/bbl

 

Sources: Registration Document 2010

 

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