There are still huge quantities of hydrocarbons to be discovered around the world, but they will be increasingly difficult to produce. To develop these technology-intensive resources, we are marshaling substantial financial and human resources, as well as our world-class R&D organization. We are taking all possible steps to limit the environmental impact of this production and accompany our projects by a roster of community development initiatives. This approach is consistent with our business model and reflects our vision of corporate social responsibility.

  

Frontier Resources

Deeply Buried Reservoirs

Lying 4,000 meters or more beneath the surface of the Earth, these reservoirs make for particularly complex exploration, drilling, and production due to the extremely high pressures and temperatures typical at these depths.

Learn more about deeply burried reservoirs

Deepwater Development (Water Depths of 500 Meters and More)

Total has emerged as one of the world's leading experts in this frontier area.
A deepwater pioneer, we are a major operator reckoned by number of offshore installations in production. By 2015, we will operate more than 10% of world deepwater production, with 400 subsea wells.

Learn more about deepwater development

Extreme Cold

For the past 10 years, Total has been producing oil from the Kharyaga field located 100 kilometers north of the Russian Arctic Circle. We are also a partner in the Snøhvit liquefied natural gas plant in the Barents Sea and in the development of the Kashagan field in the northern Caspian Sea. Additionally, we signed an agreement with Russia's Gazprom in 2007 covering the Phase 1 development of the gigantic Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea. These projects bring unprecedented challenges, due to their distance from the coast, the harsh climate, and the presence of icebergs. Front-end engineering and design is in progress.
Last March, Total and Novatek signed two memorandums of cooperation stepping up their collaboration. Under the first, Total will acquire a 20% interest in the Yamal LNG gas project in the Arctic. The transaction is expected to be finalized by July 2011.

Learn more about exploration and production in extreme cold environments

Sour and Acid Gas

Developing sour and acid gas reserves calls for highly corrosion-resistant facilities and equipment and dedicated treatment processes.

Learn more about sour and acid gas

Unconventional Oil and Gas

Extra-Heavy Oil and Bitumen

Vast quantities of extra-heavy oil and bitumen, an extremely viscous or virtually solid form of crude oil, lie beneath the Earth's surface. They are unevenly distributed across the globe, with the largest reserves found in Venezuela and Canada.

In Venezuela, we are involved in the PetroCedeño project to develop cold processes for the commercial-scale production of extra-heavy oil.

Learn more about extra-heavy oil

In Canada, we have interests in several projects to produce of the oil sands in the Athabasca region of the province of Alberta.

In 2010, we consolidated and streamlined our portfolio of Canadian oil sands assets through a strategic alliance with Suncor Energy Inc.

We now own a 39.2% interest in the Fort Hills mining project and a 38.25% interest in the Joslyn North mine, which we operate. We have another, 49% stake in the Voyageur upgrader project, a unit needed to convert the bitumen to synthetic oil suitable for refining.

We also have a 50% stake in the Surmont steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) project. Phase 1 came on stream in 2007 and Phase 2 was launched in January 2010. As well, we operate the Northern Lights mining project, in which we have a 50% interest.

Learn more about Canada's oil sands

Tight Gas Reservoirs

It takes cutting-edge expertise and technology to extract natural gas from these rock formations, which are not permeable enough for the gas to flow.

Learn more about tight gas

Shale Gas

These natural gas resources are contained in argillaceous source rock of low matrix permeability. Combining several techniques - such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing - can artificially create the permeability needed to extract the gas. Recent technological progress has driven down the cost of techniques used, making shale gas production economically viable, particularly in North America.
A partner of Chesapeake in all of its Barnett Shale leases in the United States since 2009, we extended our shale gas positions in 2010 by acquiring exploration leases in Europe and Argentina.

Learn more about shale gas 

Coalbed Methane

Coalbed methane is gas trapped in coal seams. Most of the gas is adsorbed on the surface of the coal. An excellent storage medium for gas, coal can contain two to three times more gas per rock volume than conventional gas reservoirs.
We entered this segment with the acquisition of a 27.5% interest in the Gladstone LNG project in Australia, where coalbed methane is known as coal seam gas.

Learn more about coalbed methane

  

Improved Analytical Tools

Today, about half of our exploration acreage lies in areas where the geology is difficult to assess. We are working on new tools that will improve the accuracy of subsurface models in order to more accurately delineate these new oil and gas plays.