23rd May 2005 11:02
Total S.A.23 May 2005 Norway: Discovery of hydrocarbons on the Onyx SW prospect Paris, May 23, 2005 - Total announces a gas discovery on the licence PL255, inthe Haltenbanken area of the Norwegian Sea some 150 kilometres from the coast inwater depths of approximately 300 metres. Total holds a 20% in the licencebeside partners Shell (operator), Statoil and Petoro. The 6406/9-1 exploration well drilled on the Onyx SW prospect attained a totaldepth of 5,052 metres below sea level. Condensates were encountered in severallevels of the Jurassic layer and two tests made with a maximum debit of 1.4million cubic meters of gas per day with a 48/64 inch choke. A complementary appreciation well will be drilled in the coming months tofurther establish the precise size of the discovery. Other prospects have beenidentified on this license and will be studied. This discovery reinforces Total's position in Norway where the Group presentlyproduces around 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. In the years to come,Total will grow production thanks to the achievement of "Great Ekofisk" projectand the start-up of the liquefied natural gas project Snohvit. Total is the fourth largest oil and gas company in the world with operations inmore than 130 countries. Total's activities cover the whole energy chain of thepetroleum industry: exploration, oil and gas production, refining and marketing,trading and power generation. The Group is also a major player in chemicals.Total has more than 111,000 employees worldwide. More information can be foundon the company's website: www.total.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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