UPDATE 1-Total eyeing M&A but organic growth remains priority

* Says focused on organic growth but looking at M&A

* Confirms target to invest $18 bln in 2009

* Says nuclear venture is a test, learning from others

* Plans to pay interim dividend of 1.14 euro/share in Q4

PARIS, May 15 (Reuters) - Total (TOTF.PA) remains focused on growing earnings organically but continues to look around for acquisition opportunities after its failed bid for Canada's UTS (UTS.TO), the head of the French oil major said on Friday.

Chief Executive Christophe de Margerie also reaffirmed Total would keep its investment level unchanged at $18 billion in 2009 despite a difficult economic environment and lower oil prices that make it less profitable to develop certain projects.

"It's important to know how to do acquisitions, even if we are giving the priority to organic growth rather than external growth," de Margerie told an annual meeting of shareholders.

Although it is still ruling out a major acquisition, Total is looking at opportunities everywhere, including Canada where it recently dropped a $680 million bid after failing to win support from the Canadian oil sands developer's shareholders.

"(The failure of Total's bid for UTS) does not alter our will to develop in oil sands in this country. We will simply do it through other operations," said Margerie, who heads the world's fourth largest oil group by market capitalisation after Exxon (XOM.N), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and BP (BP.L).

Earlier this month, Total Chief Financial Officer Patrick de la Chevardiere said the group was looking at acquisitions notably in Canada, Brazil and Australia.

NUCLEAR TEST

Margerie also confirmed Total would invest some $18 billion in 2009 as it seeks to increase it oil and gas output despite difficult economic conditions -- with a target to produce an extra 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2010.

The oilfields of Akpo in Nigeria and Tahiti in the Gulf of Mexico, are among Total's biggest and most recent projects, and the group also expected to start production on Yemen LNG, Tombua Landana in Angola and Qatargas II in Qatar in coming months.

Total aims to remain an oil and gas group, Margerie said, adding though that it would also look at the nuclear industry, where it ventured in recent months by taking stakes in two projects in the United Arab Emirates and France.