Total has transferred the North Africa Division of its Exploration & Production (E&P) activities to the Middle East Division, effective April 1. The merged entity has been renamed the Middle East-North Africa Division (MENA) and is headed by Stéphane Michel, the Middle East-North Africa president. The vice-president North Africa, Jean-Daniel Blasco will now report to Michel.
“This transfer enables the integrated management of our E&P operations in two highly strategic regions for Total – the Middle East and North Africa which both have strong cultural ties as well as close economic relationships, notably in the oil and gas sector,” said Michel.
Total E&P operations in North Africa cover Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. In 2013, the company’s production in Libya and Algeria came to 50,000 and 21,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day respectively.
“Total has enjoyed long-standing and mutually beneficial relationships with countries across the MENA region, and we will be looking to develop these relationships further through this reorganisation,” said Michel.
“This should also allow us to address the challenges of E&P growth more effectively and to make the most of the many synergies in our MENA operations,” he said.
The MENA region accounts for about 26.4% of Total’s worldwide oil and gas production. In 2013, the Middle East and North Africa collectively produced 607,000 barrels of oil equivalent, with the UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq and Oman being key contributors.
