TotalFinaElf announced today that the K4BE satellite platform, installed in Block K4a in the Dutch sector of the North Sea last summer, has come on stream. The interest holders in the block, located around 135 kilometers northwest of Den Helder, are TotalFinaElf (50%, operator) and Energie Beheer Nederland B.V. (50%).

Gas production began on January 23, 2001 from well K4BE1 and has now reached around 1.4 million cubic meters per day. This will increase substantially when a second development well, currently being drilled, comes on stream shortly. In addition, three further development wells will be completed by 2004.

The K4BE gas is being sold to Gasunie. It is processed on TotalFinaElf's neighboring offshore facilities and carried ashore by the WGT gathering system to the Balgzand terminal in Den Helder.

This new development project, the result of TotalFinaElf's sustained exploration operations in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, is expected to increase the Group's production in the Netherlands over the next three years. TotalFinaElf's 2000 equity production in the country was 73,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day.