Total Spreads Its Wings

Abstract

Company Profile Series Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of profiles of leading operators, including key international and national oil companies, around the globe. The focus is on the company’s strategic direction, relationship to its government, major upstream activity, and significant technology challenges and applications. Integrated French energy giant Total is continuing to spread its wings as it focuses on liquefied natural gas (LNG), deep offshore developments, and heavy oil. The company is seeking to maximize production from its existing fields, while at the same time boosting output from a raft of new projects it is bringing on stream over the next 5 years. Total has ambitious plans to grow oil and gas output by 2% per year and it is trying to strengthen its upstream arm through exploration, partnerships, and targeted asset deals. Total is the fifth-largest publicly traded integrated international oil and gas company in the world and is divided into three business segments—upstream, downstream, and chemicals. It produces oil and gas in more than 30 countries, including Angola, Australia, Nigeria, Algeria, Canada, China, Russia, and Qatar. Production of liquids and natural gas was 2.36 million BOEPD in the second quarter of this year, up 8% from the second quarter 2009, while total 2009 output was 2.28 million BOEPD. The company estimates that the share of gas in production will increase from 44% in the first half of 2010 to 46% in 2014. Yves-Louis Darricarrère, president of Total’s Exploration & Production Division, said: “Total E&P wants to grow profitably and be one of the best of the majors. To achieve this objective, Total must maximize production from existing fields. This is being done by improving recovery rates from mature fields and by extending production plateaus. Technology and investment are the keywords here.” He said the company plans to bring on stream a large portfolio of projects and that startups between 2010 and 2015 will account for 880,000 BOEPD of production (i.e., approximately 33% of Total’s production in 2015). The main startups between 2011 and 2014 include Trinidad Block 2C, Islay in the North Sea, Usan and Ofon 2 offshore Nigeria, Halfaya in Iraq, Angola LNG, Bongkot South in the Gulf of Thailand, and Kashagan Phase 1 in the Caspian Sea off Kazakhstan. “We must also focus on reserves replacement,” he added. “This means renewing Total’s portfolio by focusing on organic growth (ongoing exploration, access to discovered resources opportunities awaiting development), and completing it with selective acquisitions.”