Elf begins production of new offshore gas fields in the Netherlands

Elf Petroland, the Dutch oil and gas subsidiary of Elf Aquitaine, announces the start-up of production from the new satellite platform L4PN, the first stage of the joint development of several new gas fields located on the Dutch continental shelf, north of block L4a.

The development was conceived in order to achieve synergies, on both technical and economical level, resulting from the existing proximity of the fields.

The first well, in L1a-A, began production in the beginning of November and has a production potential of 800 000 cubic meters of gas per day. Production from L4PN will progressively increase as the remaining wells in the other fields are connected to the platform and is expected to have a daily average flow rate of two and a half million cubic meters of gas by summer 2000.

All gas has been sold to Gasunie and will be evacuated via the existing Elf Petroland installations, L4A and L7 Central Complex, and transported to shore through the Noordgastransport Pipeline.

Elf Petroland is a major player in the exploration and production of gas in the Netherlands.It is the leading gas operator among the Group’s subsidiaries and the second operator in the Netherlands.

Interests in the L4PN association established according to the respective interests in the production licenses concerned are the following:

Elf Petroland, operator 36.1%

Energie Beheer Nederland B.V. 40.0%

Total Oil and Gas Nederland B.V. 20.9%

Coparex Netherlands B.V. 3.0%