RNS Number:6521N       
Total S.A.
17 July 2003

                                APPOINTMENTS

Paris - July 17, 2003 - Jean-Luc Vermeulen, Total Executive Vice President,
President of Upstream and member of the Executive Committee of Total, having
decided to retire, will leave the company on September 1st, 2003.

Thierry Desmarest, Chairman and CEO of Total, on behalf of the Group, expressed
his thanks to Mr. Vermeulen for the outstanding contribution he made during the
33 years spent within the Exploration and Production Branch of Elf Aquitaine, as
well as for his assistance in strengthening these activities and in building the
new Group over the past four years.

At that date, the Group's organization will be modified in a way that both
Exploration and Production Division and Gas and Power Division will be reporting
directly to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Christophe de Margerie is confirmed in his functions as Total Executive Vice
President, President of Exploration and Production and member of the Executive
Committee.

Yves-Louis Darricarrere is appointed Total Executive Vice President, President
of Gas and Power and member of the Executive Committee.
 
Christophe de Margerie 
Executive Vice President, President of Exploration and Production
Member of the Executive Committee

Born in 1951, Christophe de Margerie is a graduate of the Ecole Superieure de
Commerce (Paris). He started his career with Total in 1974 when he joined the
Group Financial Division where he held responsibility for the budget, then for
financing of Exploration and Production subsidiaries. He was appointed Group
treasurer in 1987. He joined Total Trading and Middle East in May 1990, where he
held successively the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Deputy General
Manager for the Middle East, General Manager for the Middle East end finally
Deputy Executive Vice President for the Middle East. In June 1995 he became a
member of the Group Management Committee end Executive Vice President for Total
Middle East. After the merger with Petrofina in June 1999, he was appointed
President of Exploration end Production of Totalfina and member of the Executive
Committee. Having been appointed Deputy General Manager of Exploration and
Production and a member of the Executive Committee of TotalFinaElf on March 22,
2000, he became Senior Executive Vice President of TotalFinaElf Exploration and
Production on January 1st, 2002.

Yves-Louis Darricarrere
Executive Vice President, President of Gas and Power
Member of the Executive Committee

Born in 1951, Yves-Louis Darricarrere is a graduate of Ecole Nationale
Superieure des Mines (Paris), of Institut d'Etudes Pollitiques de Paris and
holds a bachelor's degree in Economics Lecturer, at the Ecole Nationale
Superieure des Mines (Paris). He joined Elf in 1978 first as a project engineer
with the Mines Division and then as project engineer with Aquitaine Australia
Minerals. He became successively country representative Australia/Egypt,
President of Elf Aquitaine Egypt, President of Elf Aquitaine Columbia, Vice
President new ventures and negotiations of the Exploration and Production
Division. Senior Vice President Europe and United States of the Exploration and
Production Division. He has been Senior Vice President for Northern Europe of
the Exploration and Production Division of TotalFinaElf and a member of the
Group Management Committee since March 22, 2000.

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