Axens and Prosernat have been awarded contracts for two natural gas purification units in Repsol-YPF’s Loma La Lata gas field, in the province of Neuquen in Argentina.

The units will treat 42 million m³/day of natural gas and represent the first references of this technology in Argentina. Prosernat will carry out the basic engineering design and Axens will supply 70 m³ CMG 273 and CMG 275 adsorbents for the units.

The start-up is foreseen in Q3 2004.

Prosernat

Prosernat, specialized process technology and equipment supplier to the oil and gas industry, is a fully-owned subsidiary of IFP since October 2001. Prosernat offers a full range of processing units for phase separation, natural gas dehydration and sweetening, NGL extraction and sulfur removal. In particular, Prosernat offers IFP gas treatment processes and TOTAL amine processes. For more information, consult www.prosernat.com.

Repsol-YPF

Repsol-YPF is a multinational corporation and a leading company in Spain and Argentina, where it operates in the energy and petrochemical sectors. Repsol-YPF’s main goal is to provide increasing value to shareholders by constantly improving customer satisfaction and developing the professional skills of our employees while offering them attractive career opportunities; and serving the community, all within a strict code of ethics. In Argentina, Repsol-YPF is the leading oil and gas production company, whose “Loma La Lata” gas field is the most important currently in production in Latin America. For more information, consult www.repsolypf.com.