TotalFinaElf received development approval from the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy for the Skirne and Byggve gas and condensate fields located in Production License 102 (PL102) in the south central portion of Block 25/5, in Norwegian North Sea. TotalFinaElf is the operator of PL 102 holding a 40% interest in partnership with Petoro, Marathon and Norsk Hydro.

The approved Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) provides for the subsea development of the Skirne and Byggve fields via two single-well tie-backs (one on each field) in 120 metres of water. The produced gas and condensate will be transported to existing treatment facilities at the Heimdal Gas Centre, around 20 kilometres west of the fields.

Processed gas will be exported to either the continent (via the Norwegian system) or the UK (via the Vesterled system). Condensate will be exported to Scotland.

Production from the two fields is planned to start at the end 2003 and reach around 34,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2004.

Present in Norway for more than thirty years, TotalFinaElf is a leading oil and gas producer, with a production of around 350,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2001.