Total S.A. is among the supermajor oil companies, which are the largest vertically integrated oil and gas companies in the world, by reserves, production, and market cap. Along with oil exploration and production activities, the company's upstream business segment consists of integrated Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) operations, from liquefaction to gasification, as well as a power generation business and stakes in multiple photovoltaic developers.

Total's French origins give the company an advantage over many western oil majors, as it has larger reserve and production bases in young, high-yield regions like Africa and the Middle East; Total is even one of the few companies that has operations in Iran. These regions, however, are associated with high risk because of their political violence and associations with terrorists. For the most part, its familiarity with regional cultures and the dependence of impoverished nations on international capital has allowed Total to avoid problems in these regions. Total's lack of experience across the pond, however, has led to problems in Latin America, like the nationalization of some of the company's Venezuelan assets.

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