Agreed Paddy but don't forget there is competition to MSAR - SAGD, VAPEX, SAP, THAI etc
Take a look at the following for an outline of what we're up against :
One, or some, of these new technologies will be a big success, others will fall by the wayside - (like Betamax and VHS videos) - back the right one and you win big time. The giants like Total, as you rightly said, will not want to be left behind but at the same time will want to back the winning system. (That's not to say that MSAR will not be that system).
If I sound negative I don't mean to - just realistic and I don't know enough about these systems to start to predict which one the winner will be.
Spazzz