Jean-Michel Gires appointed President of Total E&P Canada

CALGARY , Sept. 29 /CNW/ - Total E&P Canada Ltd (TEP Canada ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jean-Michel Gires as President and CEO, effective September 2009 , to lead the company's Canadian operations.

Mr. Gires succeeds Michael Borrell , who had served as President of TEP Canada since 2006 and recently returned to Total S.A.'s head office in Paris , France to assume the role of Vice President, Caspian Sea and Central Asia.

As TEP Canada moves forward on its projects in the Athabasca, Mr. Gires brings valuable experience in heavy oil and sustainable development to his new role. Prior to joining TEP Canada , Mr. Gires was Executive Vice President, Sustainable Development and the Environment of Total S.A., a position he held for six years. In September 2009 , the efforts he led culminated in Total S.A. ranking first in oil and gas worldwide on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

"While the Alberta oil sands are a complex and challenging resource," says Mr. Gires , "I am certain that the collective efforts of progressive companies like ours, with mega-project experience and a commitment to technology investment, will allow us to develop it responsibly. Our goal is to produce on our leases in a way that addresses global environmental and social standards."

Throughout his career, Mr. Gires has been instrumental in establishing best practices in the areas of advanced research and development, project management, environmental responsibility, stakeholder relations and community capacity building. Most recently, Mr. Gires launched the Total EcoSolutions Brand for the Group, a suite of petroleum and petro-chemical-based products derived from environmentally responsible manufacturing and leading life-cycle analysis processes.

In his more than 20-year career with Total, Mr. Gires has led a wide range of projects on several continents, including the role of President of TotalFinaElf in Venezuela , where he coordinated the Sincor project to develop and upgrade extra-heavy Orinoco crude oil. He also led the North Sea Division of TotalFina Exploration and Production, and was Strategy, Planning and Financial Control Manager for Total Exploration and Production, based in Paris .

Mr. Gires was named a Chevalier of the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur in 2003. He is a graduate of École Polytechnique of Paris and an engineer with the Corps des Mines.

Total Exploration & Production in Canada

Total is the operator of the Joslyn lease with a 75 per cent interest. The project will be developed using surface mining technologies. The production potential of the project is currently estimated at more than 200,000 barrels per day. Total also holds a 50 per cent interest in the Surmont SAGD project, the region's largest, located about 60 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray. Phase One, which started in 2007, has a capacity of 27,000 barrels per day at plateau production and is currently producing 18,000 barrels per day. It will be followed by Phase Two, which will bring total production to approximately 110,000 barrels per day. Future phases at Surmont are also under study. In 2008, Total acquired Synenco Energy, which held an interest in the Northern Lights project, and now holds 50 per cent of the project.

Total is the world's sixth largest company on the Fortune 500 and one of the world's major energy groups with activities in more than 130 countries. Its 96,000 employees put their expertise to work in every part of the industry - exploration and production of oil and natural gas, refining and marketing, gas & power, trading and renewable energies. Total is working to keep the world supplied with energy, both today and tomorrow. The Group is also a first rank player in base and specialty chemicals. www.total.com. www.total-ep-canada.com.

For further information: Media Contact: Elizabeth Cordeau-Chatelain, [phone], [email protected]