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| Total (group) | |
|---|---|
| Name | TotalEnergies SE |
| Type | Public (Societas Europaea) |
| Founded | 1924 (as Compagnie Française des Pétroles) |
| Headquarters | Courbevoie, Paris, France |
| Key people | Patrick Pouyanné |
| Industry | Energy |
| Products | Oil, natural gas, petrochemicals, renewable energy |
| Revenue | € (see Financial performance) |
Total (group) is a multinational energy company headquartered in Courbevoie, Île-de-France, with origins in the post-World War I era and a major presence across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The company is active in upstream exploration and production, downstream refining and marketing, petrochemicals and increasingly in renewable energy investments, interacting with entities such as OPEC, International Energy Agency, BP, Shell plc, and ExxonMobil.
The company traces its lineage to the 1924 founding of Compagnie Française des Pétroles after the San Remo conference and the partitioning of Ottoman petroleum rights, later evolving through national and international developments involving Pierre Guillaumat and ties to the French Third Republic. In the postwar decades it expanded during the era of decolonization interacting with states like Algeria and Iraq and corporations such as Gulf Oil; key milestones include mergers and acquisitions during the late 20th century with firms connected to Elf Aquitaine and strategic moves influenced by events like the 1973 oil crisis. The 21st century saw corporate transformations responding to the Kyoto Protocol, collaborations with Rosneft and Gazprom in the 2000s, and a recent rebranding aligning with energy transition dialogues involving COP21 and United Nations initiatives.
Total’s operations span upstream exploration and production in basins like the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Carnarvon Basin, midstream transportation via LNG chains linked to QatarEnergy projects, and downstream refining and petrochemicals with refineries situated near hubs such as Fos-sur-Mer and trading desks engaging with markets in Rotterdam and Singapore. The company’s portfolio includes integrated supply chains tied to shipping through relationships with firms registered under flags like the Marshall Islands and commercial partnerships with refiners such as Mitsui and PetroChina. Its renewables and power activities involve joint ventures with utilities like Enel and industrial players such as Siemens.
As a Societas Europaea, the company lists executive leadership including board members with backgrounds in institutions like the French Treasury and corporations such as TotalEnergies SE affiliates; major shareholders have included national pension funds and investment firms such as BlackRock and Vanguard Group. The governance framework interacts with regulatory regimes in jurisdictions including Autorité des marchés financiers (France), Securities and Exchange Commission oversight for US listings, and corporate law frameworks in Netherlands and France.
Financial metrics reflect revenues and earnings reported in annual statements filed with bodies like the Autorité des marchés financiers (France) and affected by commodity price cycles tracked by Brent crude and Henry Hub benchmarks. Periodic results show sensitivity to events such as the 2008 financial crisis, the 2014 oil glut, and the COVID-19 pandemic, with capital allocation debated among institutional investors including BlackRock, State Street and activist funds tied to boards of energy majors.
Major upstream projects have included developments in the North Sea, the Tengiz region in Kazakhstan in partnership with groups like Chevron and ExxonMobil, deepwater ventures in the Gulf of Guinea alongside national oil companies such as Sonangol and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and LNG plants developed in cooperation with QatarEnergy and Petrobras. Subsidiaries and affiliates encompass refining and petrochemical arms operating in markets served by entities like SABIC and retail networks akin to those of Esso and TotalEnergies Marketing. Investments in solar and wind assets link the group to developers such as EDF Renewables and industrial partners like Vestas.
The company has been subject to litigation and public scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions over matters involving alleged complicity in geopolitical disputes, contract controversies with states such as Nigeria and Iran, and competition inquiries alongside peers like Royal Dutch Shell and BP. Legal proceedings have sometimes referenced international legal instruments including cases brought under mechanisms related to the International Criminal Court and arbitration panels such as those administered by ICSID and ICC. Allegations from NGOs and plaintiff groups have involved environmental harm claims connected to operations in regions including the Niger Delta and legal challenges in courts in French Republic and other host states.
The company participates in climate forums including UNFCCC negotiations and has published sustainability commitments responding to reports by organizations such as Carbon Tracker and International Energy Agency. Its corporate social responsibility programs interact with development actors like World Bank projects, local governments in producer states such as Angola and Mozambique, and non-governmental organizations including Greenpeace and WWF. Critiques from civil society and regulatory reviews by bodies like the European Commission have focused on emission reduction pathways, biodiversity impacts in areas such as Amazon rainforestadjacent operations, and social license issues in indigenous territories.
Category:Energy companies