Total CEO Considers Increasing Its Asset Sales Target

Total may increase its target for asset sales to finance exploration and attain its oil and gas production goals, the Wall Street Journal quoted the French company's chief executive as saying.

The oil major, which will hold an investor conference next week, said earlier this year it planned to sell assets worth $15 billion to $20 billion by 2014.

"Depending on how the plan goes and investors' appetite, I am considering amending the target," CEO Christophe de Margerie was quoted as saying, without elaborating, in a report published on the Wall Street Journal's website.

He said he was maintaining his objective of increasing oil and gas production by an average of 3 percent a year between 2012 and 2015, the report said.