Concerted progress on the development of the Amenam Kpono Oil and Gas Export Project (AKOGEP) Phase 2 with the goal of successful delivery of gas to NLNG Trains 4 and 5 at the beginning of 2006 is one of the cardinal objectives of Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Total, in 2005. This was disclosed by the company's Managing Director, Mr. Jacques Marraud des Grottes in his New Year message to all staff.

Also in the course of the year, the company will launch and prepare for new projects such as Akpo, OML 58 expansion and upgrade as well as Obite-Rumuji gas pipeline, Usan, OML 100 upgrade and the Independent Power Project (IPP).

Mr. Marraud des Grottes also stated that the company will "prepare for High Pressure/High Temperature (HP/HT) exploration offshore and continue with intensive exploration/delineation on deep offshore acreages."

The company is also determined to improve on its health, safety and environment objectives, including effluent discharge reduction and gas flare down targets.

The Managing Director used the New Year Message to assure other stakeholders that the company will implement "agreements and MOUs with various communities and continue to support programmes aimed at improving the quality of life in the various communities." The foregoing will be accomplished against the background of striving to "continuously protect our personnel, assets and image."

To realize these goals, Mr. Marraud des Grottes charged all staff to "imbibe the culture of individual responsibility, accountability, initiatives and mutual respect that will make us achieve the levels of effectiveness, co-operation and cohesion that is required in our future endeavours."

The 2005 objectives are a logical follow-up to a highly successful 2004 business year. In the past year, the company formally inaugurated the Amenam Kpono field; had exploration and appraisal successes on blocks 246 and 222; successfully acquired OPL 221 and had Final Investment Decision on NLNG Train 6, among other achievements.