The Angolan environment minister Fatima Jardim has extolled Total's commitment to the sustainable development of the country.

Speaking at a conference focusing on upstream environmental management hosted by the French oil major, Mr Jardim called on the company to continue to allocate funds for the training of new personnel to ensure the development of a modern, safe and sustainable oil and gas industry in the country.

He added that the national oil ministry, working in partnership with the state-owned Sonangol, has ensured regulatory compliance and is pursuing a system of harsh penalties for those companies which do not follow strict environmental operating practices in both upstream and downstream sectors.

Responding, Total's director general Oliver de Langavant iterated that environmental sustainability was a cornerstone of the company's corporate philosophy.

Pursuant to this commitment, the company last year deployed the Pazflor offshore production vessel, which uses groundbreaking seabed artificial lifting technology to support the sustainable development of deepwater fields.

5th Global Education and Training event for Oil and Gas: Exploration and Production