Total announces two new oil discoveries in the northern area of the Moho-Bilondo permit, which lies approximately 80 kilometres offshore Republic of the Congo in a water depth of 1,000 metres.

The Moho Nord Marine-1 discovery well was drilled to a total depth of 2,465 metres and encountered an approximately 140-metres column of oil in high quality Upper Miocene reservoir levels.

Drilled to a total depth of 2,340 meters around 1.5 kilometres from the first well, the Moho Nord Marine-2 discovery well encountered a different set of two Upper Miocene oil reservoirs that are connected to each other, one overlying the other. One contained a 78-metres column of oil in an excellent quality massive reservoir; the other, a 22-metres column of oil in a good quality massive sandstone reservoir.

The wells were the second phase of the campaign to add resources to the current Phase 1 development of Moho-Bilondo, following the Mobi Marine 2 discovery in 2006, which will be connected to the Moho-Bilondo floating and production unit.

Launched in late August 2005, the initial Phase 1 development plan for Moho-Bilondo consists of 12 subsea wells tied back to a floating production unit (FPU) whose output—around 90,000 barrels per day at peak—will be exported to the Djeno terminal. Production is scheduled to begin in 2008.

Appraisal of the additional reserves contained in the three oil reservoirs encountered by Moho Nord Marine-1 and Moho Nord Marine-2 is underway to determine their potential, and development plan studies have already been launched.

Total E&P Congo (53.5%) is partnered in Moho-Bilondo with Chevron Overseas Congo Ltd. (31.5%) and Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (15%).

Total in the Republic of the Congo

Solidly positioned in the Republic of the Congo, where it has operated since 1968, Total is the country’s leading oil producer, with an operated production of 130,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2006.

Exploration & Production in West Africa

Total has been present in West Africa since 1928, with exploration and production operations located chiefly in Gulf of Guinea countries. 2006 saw the startups of Dalia, which has a capacity of 240,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, in Angola’s Block 17; the bringing on stream of Benguela Belize, Lobito and Landana North in Block 14, also in Angola; and the acquisition of interests in the Brass LNG project and offshore OMLs 112 and 117 in Nigeria. In addition, a number of discoveries were made in Angola, in Blocks 17 and 32; in Cameroon, in the Dissoni block; and in the Republic of the Congo, with a third find in the MTPS block and the Mobi Marine 2 discovery.
Total’s equity production in West Africa stood at more than 550,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2006, making it one of the leading international oil companies in the region.