Vladimir Putin, Russian prime minister, on Wednesday gave the green light to Total to expand in Russia after the French oil major clinched an exploration joint venture deal with the country’s largest independent gas producer.

Mr Putin, announcing a venture between Novatek and Total to develop the Termokarstovoye gas field in Russia’s Arctic region, even held out the prospect that the French group could be chosen for the second phase of the highly coveted Shtokman project, one of the world’s largest gas prospects. Total holds a 25 per cent stake in the initial development phase of state-owned Gazprom’s exploration project.