Registration document 2007 - Total.com

Gas & Power
The Gas & Power division encompasses the marketing,
trading, transport and storage of natural gas and liquefied
natural gas (LNG), LNG re-gasification and the maritime
transport and trading of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It
also includes power generation from combined cycle plants
and renewable energies, the trading and marketing of
electricity as well as the production and marketing of coal.
TOTAL is continuing to develop its global presence in each
of these activities.
Natural Gas
In 2006, TOTAL pursued its strategy of developing its activities
downstream from natural gas production to optimize access for
the Group’s present and future gas production and reserves to
traditional (organized around long-term contracts between
producers and integrated gas companies) as well as newly (or
soon to be) deregulated markets.
The majority of TOTAL’s natural gas production is sold under
long-term contracts. However, a part of its U.K., Norwegian and
Argentine production as well as substantially all of its North
American production are sold on a spot basis.
The long-term contracts under which TOTAL sells its natural gas
production usually provide for a price related to, among other
factors, average crude oil and other petroleum product prices, as
well as, in some cases, a cost of living index. Although the price
of natural gas tends to fluctuate in line with crude oil prices, there
tends to be a delay before changes in crude oil prices are
reflected on long-term natural gas prices.
The general trend towards the deregulation of natural gas
markets worldwide tends to allow customers to more freely
access suppliers, leading to new marketing structures that are
more flexible than traditional long-term contracts.
In this context, TOTAL is developing its trading, marketing and
logistical activities to offer its natural gas production to new
customers, primarily in the industrial and commercial markets,
who are looking for more flexible supply arrangements.
(1) Source: International Gas Union 2006.
Business overview
Gas & Power - Upstream
2
Europe
TOTAL has been active in the downstream sector of the gas
value chain for more than 60 years. Natural gas transport,
marketing and storage activities were initially developed to
complement the Group’s domestic production in Lacq (France).
Today, TOTAL’s objective is to become a leading supplier of gas
to European industrial and commercial customers.
Since April 2005, the Group’s transport and storage activities in
southwest France have been brought under a wholly-owned
subsidiary, TIGF, which operates a regulated transport network of
4,905 km of pipelines and two storage units with a combined
usable capacity of 85 Bcf (2.4 Bm 3 ), approximately 20% of the
overall natural gas storage capacity in France (1) .
Highlights of 2006 included the inauguration of the Euskadour
pipeline (TIGF, 100% of the portion in France). This pipeline,
whose construction was approved in 2003, is the second
pipeline to connect the Atlantic coasts of Spain and France.
In 2006, TOTAL sold 243 Bcf (6.9 Bm 3 ) of natural gas to French
customers through its marketing subsidiary Total Énergie Gaz
(TEGAZ), compared to 260 Bcf (7.4 Bm 3 ) in 2005 and 268 Bcf
(7.6 Bm 3 ) in 2004.
In Spain, since 2001, TOTAL has marketed gas in the industrial
and commercial sectors through its participation in CEPSA Gas
Comercializadora. This company is held by TOTAL (35%), CEPSA
(35%) and the Algerian national company Sonatrach (30%).
Taking into account TOTAL’s 48.83% interest in CEPSA, TOTAL
has a direct and indirect interest of approximately 52% in this
company. In 2006, CEPSA Gas Comercializadora sold
approximately 119 Bcf (3.4 Bm 3 ) of natural gas, compared
to approximately 63 Bcf (1.8 Bm 3 ) in 2005 and 35 Bcf (1 Bm 3 )
in 2004. CEPSA is participating in studies for the Medgaz gas
pipeline project, planned to directly connect Algeria and Spain,
through its 20% interest, which gives TOTAL an indirect interest
of 10% in the project. The Group relinquished its direct
participation in the project in 2006.
In the UK, TOTAL’s subsidiary Total Gas & Power Ltd sells gas
and power to the industrial and commercial markets. This
subsidiary also conducts global gas, electricity and LNG trading
activities. In 2006, Total Gas & Power Ltd marketed 135 Bcf
(3.8 Bm 3 ) of natural gas to industrial and commercial customers,
compared to 189 Bcf (5.4 Bm 3 ) in 2005 and in 2004. Electricity
sales in 2006 amounted to 3.2 TWh in 2006, compared to
1.7 TWh in 2005 and 1.3 TWh in 2004. In addition, TOTAL holds
a 10% interest in Interconnector UK Ltd, a gas pipeline
connecting Bacton in the United Kingdom to Zeebrugge in
Belgium.
TOTAL – Registration Document 2006 37