Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol) and Total’s wholly owned subsidiary Total E&P Angola announce a new oil discovery with the fifth exploration well drilled on Block 32 in the offshore ultra-deepwaters of Angola.

Drilled in a water depth of 1,758 meters, the Mostarda-1 well tested at a rate of 5,347 barrels per day of oil at 30° API density, from one of the reservoir intervals encountered. The discovery is located in the eastern part of Block 32, approximately 14 kilometres south of Canela-1, and 15 kilometres southeast of Gengibre-1, other discoveries on the same block announced in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Complementary technical studies are underway to evaluate the potential of the Mostarda-1 discovery and its joint development with the other Block 32 discoveries.

Sonangol is the concessionaire of Block 32. Total is operator (30%) with partners Marathon Oil Company (30%), Sonangol E.P. (20%), Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited (15%) and Petrogal (5%).

Total is Africa’s leading international oil producer, with an output of 813,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2004. Today the Group is one of the principal players in the Angolan offshore petroleum industry with a major development programme. Present onshore, in deep offshore and in the ultra-deep offshore, the Group operates notably Block 17 (40%) where the Dalia and Rosa fields are currently under development. In 2004, Total had equity production of 164,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in Angola.