1. The French Connection.
- Author
-
Levine, Joshua
- Subjects
PETROLEUM industry ,FOSSIL fuels ,PETROLEUM reserves ,BUSINESS partnerships ,JOINT ventures ,STRATEGIC alliances (Business) ,OIL fields - Abstract
This article discusses business practices of French oil firm Total SA. Total is trying to get back into Iraq. Word is that it has had informal discussions with ExxonMobil about forming a joint venture to exploit Iraq's Majnoon and Nahr bin Umar oilfields as soon as a new Iraqi government is formed. In West Siberia Total Chairman Thierry Desmarest negotiated a production-sharing agreement for the Kharyaga field before Russia had any legislation, leaving Total unprotected. Total does not need Iraqi production to meet current targets. More important to Total's immediate future is the mammoth Kashagan field in Kazakhstan.
- Published
- 2003