Exhibit 99.2

2, place de la Coupole
La Défense 6
92 400 Courbevoie France
Fax: 33 (1) 47 44 68 21

Catherine ENCK
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 37 76

Patricia MARIE
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 45 90

Paul FLOREN
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 45 91

Christine de CHAMPEAUX
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 47 49

Bertille ARON
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 67 12

Mary DWYER
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 21 19

Isabelle CABROL
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 64 24

Charles-Edouard ANFRAY
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 65 55

Franklin BOITIER
Tel.: 33 (1) 47 44 59 81

TOTAL S.A.
Capital 6 491 182 360 euros
542 051 180 R.C.S. Nanterre

www.total.com

Thierry Desmarest re-elected Chairman
and Chief Executive of the Total Group

Paris, May 17, 2004 — At the Annual Meeting of shareholders held on Friday, May 14, 2004, the shareholders voted to renew the mandate of Mr Thierry Desmarest as a director for a further term of three years. On the same day, the Board of Directors of Total met and re-elected Thierry Desmarest as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Total S.A., and Chief Executive Officer of the company.

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Total is the fourth largest oil and gas company in the world with operations in more than 130 countries. Total’s activities cover the whole energy chain of the petroleum industry: exploration, oil and gas production, refining and marketing, trading and power generation. The Group is also a major player in chemicals through its chemicals branch, Atofina. Total has more than 110,000 employees worldwide. More information can be found on the company’s website: www.total.com