Total announces a significant gas discovery in Bolivia’s Ipati Block, 300 kilometers south of Santa Cruz. The Group entered on this permit in March 2003.

Drilled to a depth of 5,150 meters, the Incahuasi X1 exploratory well tested at more than 1 million cubic meters of gas per day through a 44/64-inch choke. It is the first discovery on the Ipati permit. The well and its potential are currently being appraised.

Total Exploration & Production Bolivia, a Total subsidiary, operates the Ipati block with an interest of 80%, while Argentina’s Tecpetrol owns the remaining 20% interest. The two companies are also partners in the adjacent Aquio block, under the same terms.

The discovery strengthens Total’s position as a gas operator in Bolivia. Present in the country since 1996, the Group discovered the Itau gas field in 1999 in the XX Block, which it operates with a 45% interest. Total also has a 15% interest in the San Alberto and San Antonio fields, which have supplied gas to Brazil since 1999 and to Argentina since 2004.