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Registration document 2007 - Total.com

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Production<br />

For the full year 2006, hydrocarbon average daily production was<br />

2,356 kboe/d <strong>com</strong>pared to 2,489 kboe/d in 2005, a decrease of<br />

5% due to the following elements : -2% due to the price effect,<br />

-1% due to changes in the portfolio and -2% due to shut-downs<br />

in the Niger Delta area. Excluding these items, the positive<br />

impact of new field start-ups was offset by normal declines and<br />

shut-downs in the North Sea. In 2004, average production<br />

amounted to 2,585 kboe/d. Liquids accounted for approximately<br />

64% and natural gas accounted for approximately 36% of<br />

TOTAL’s <strong>com</strong>bined liquids and natural gas production in 2006 on<br />

an oil equivalent basis.<br />

The table on the next page sets forth by geographic area<br />

TOTAL’s average daily production of crude oil and natural gas for<br />

each of the last three years.<br />

Consistent with industry practice, TOTAL often holds a<br />

percentage interest in its acreage rather than a 100% interest,<br />

with the balance being held by joint venture partners (which may<br />

include other international oil <strong>com</strong>panies, state oil <strong>com</strong>panies or<br />

government entities). TOTAL frequently acts as operator (the<br />

party responsible for technical production) on acreage in which it<br />

holds an interest. See “Presentation of Production Activities by<br />

Geographic Area” on pages 17 to 35 for a description of TOTAL’s<br />

principal producing fields in the upstream sector.<br />

Business overview<br />

Exploration & Production - Upstream<br />

2<br />

As in 2005 and 2004, substantially all of the crude oil production<br />

from TOTAL’s Exploration & Production activities in 2006 was<br />

marketed by the Trading-Shipping activities of its Downstream<br />

segment. See “Downstream—Trading-Shipping” on page 48.<br />

The majority of TOTAL’s natural gas production is sold under<br />

long-term contracts. However, its North American production is<br />

sold on a spot basis as is part of its production from the United<br />

Kingdom, Norway and Argentina. The long-term contracts under<br />

which TOTAL sells its natural gas and LNG production usually<br />

provide for a price related to, among other factors, average crude<br />

oil and other petroleum product prices as well as, in some cases,<br />

a cost of living index. Although the price of natural gas and LNG<br />

tends to fluctuate in line with crude oil prices, there is a delay<br />

before changes in crude oil prices are reflected in long-term<br />

natural gas prices. Because of the relationship between the<br />

contract price of natural gas and crude oil prices, contract prices<br />

are not generally affected by short-term market fluctuations in the<br />

spot price of natural gas. See “Supplemental Oil and Gas<br />

Information (unaudited)” on pages 237 to 248.<br />

TOTAL – <strong>Registration</strong> Document 2006 15

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