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.

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 2008, the Upstream business has invested €10 billion and employed 16,005 people. Our average daily production of liquids and natural gas was 2.34 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2008.  Liquids accounted for approximately 62% and natural gas accounted for approximately 38% of Total's combined production of liquids and gas in 2008 on an oil equivalent basis. We will leverage a solid and diversified portfolio of proved reserves of 10.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent² and proved and probable reserves of 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent as of end-2008.³

Total continued to follow an active exploration program in 2008, with exploration investments of consolidated subsidiaries amounting to 1, 243 M€ (including unproved property acquisition costs). The main exploration investments were made in Angola, Nigeria, Norway, the United-Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Libya, Brunei, Gabon, Cameroon, Indonesia, China, the Republic of Congo and Canada.

The Group’s consolidated Exploration & Production subsidiaries’ development expenditures amounted to 7 B€ in 2008, primarily in Angola, Nigeria, Norway, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, the Republic of Congo, the United Kingdom, Gabon, Canada, the United States and Qatar.

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, 2008
2. Based on a year-end Brent price of 36.55 $/bbl
3. Limited to proved and probable reserves covered by E&P contracts on fields that have been drilled and for which technical studies have demonstrated economic development in a 60 $/b Brent environment, including projects to be developed by mining.