LATEST: Total licence to be renewed this week?
From what WSRW understands, Total’s new licence in Western Sahara was signed exactly one year ago. This opens for a renewal already this week, first week of December 2012. WSRW urges Total’s investors to engage immediately.
Published 03 December 2012


According to information WSRW received, Total’s massive block offshore Western Sahara was signed on 6 December 2011. WSRW revealed 29 November 2012 that Total is back in Western Sahara, working on behalf of the Moroccan government, which occupies parts of the territory.

The agreement is most probably a reconnaissance agreement – the same kind of agreement that the company held in the same area in the period 2001-2004. It is said that the agreement is valid for a period of 12 months.

This means that the newly discovered agreement will expire in three days from now - Thursday 6 December 2012. Total needs, in other words to assess this week, whether it will let the agreement expire without renewing (as they did in 2004), if they will prolong the agreement, or if they will upgrade it to a full exploration licence.

“Western Sahara Resource Watch calls on all owners of Total to immediately bring this issue with Total's management. They should request both a guarantee that no further exploration activity take place in occupied Western Sahara, and an explanation as to how this could happen in the first place”, stated Erik Hagen, chair of Western Sahara Resource Watch.

Total paid near 4 million to occupier for oil block

The French company Total paid the Moroccan government near 4 million US dollars for the Anzarane exploration licence offshore Western Sahara, under illegal occupation.
08 October 2019

Total officially states it has left Western Sahara

"The contract was not extended in December 2015", company writes on website. It has also confirmed that it has "no plans" to return to the territory, which lies in the part of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation.

21 June 2016

Norwegian investor excluded Total due to Western Sahara involvement

The Norwegian insurance company Storebrand has blacklisted both phosphate and oil companies involved in occupied Western Sahara. Among them are the French company Total, which are now back in from the cold after they withdrew from the territory.
25 March 2016

Total has left occupied Western Sahara

The French multinational oil company has announced that it is no longer pursuing oil search offshore Western Sahara. "More good news for the Saharawi people. We urge the remaining oil companies to follow suit", stated WSRW.

21 December 2015