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French government urges refiners to parley in strikes

  • Market: Crude oil, Oil products, Petrochemicals
  • 07/10/22

A French business minister has suggested TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil should revisit demands of striking workers at the company's refineries.

Minister for small and medium businesses Olivia Gregoire (SME) said: "these firms have good results. We expect companies to make efforts towards their employees."

The government call comes as a growing number of service stations in northern, southern and eastern France are either without fuel or are reporting shortages, and the effects of the strike are rippling out across Europe. Ice gasoil futures are into the steepest backwardation since the early stages of the war in Ukraine.

Paris has been forced to draw on strategic stocks and import rising amounts of diesel from northwest Europe to counter the effects of the near three-week dispute. Argus estimates France is importing around 595,000 b/d this month, while customs data show levels around 335,000 b/d in the first half of the year.

France had already drawn on stocks this year, because of planned and unplanned works, and pandemic-related closures, dating back to the fourth quarter of 2019.

Union CGT, representing workers at ExxonMobil sites, said staff have no intention of going back to their posts this weekend, meaning the company's 133,000 Fos and 236,900 b/d Port Jerome refineries will remain out of action. No deliveries are being made from storage. Staff at ExxonMobil met earlier today to discuss whether to continue the strike and whether to continue to back the wage demands made by the CGT and fellow union FO. "The great majority" voted in favour said the CGT, and FO said 95pc voted for the proposal.

The unions then met with ExxonMobil management, but without any apparent movement from either side.

"We are waiting for the management's view on our proposed salary increase," the CGT said. "The deadline for a reply is Monday morning at the latest."

Workers are also on strike at TotalEnergies' 246,900 b/d Gonfreville and 109,3000 b/d Feyzin refineries, and at some of the company's petrochemical, logistics and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) units. TotalEnergies' 219,000 b/d Donges refinery, on the southern Atlantic coast, is operating and service stations in the region appear less affected.

By Adam Porter

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19/12/25

Trinidad not part of US blockade of Venezuela: PM

Trinidad not part of US blockade of Venezuela: PM

Kingston, 19 December (Argus) — Trinidad and Tobago is not involved in the US blockade of oil tankers entering and leaving from neighboring Venezuela, prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday. She rejected a Venezuelan government claim that her country is part of US president Donald Trump's current campaign against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and that it is supporting "the theft of Venezuelan oil." "We have no intention of engaging in any war with Venezuela," Persad-Bissessar said. But Trinidad's foreign ministry said on 15 December that the US is using the country's two airports for "logistical activities," including resupply for US operations and personnel rotations. Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez accused Persad-Bissessar of being "hostile" to Venezuela, saying she "has turned her country into a US aircraft carrier to attack Venezuela, in an unequivocal act of vassalage." The US has stationed a large naval force in the waters near Venezuela since September and has destroyed several small boats in the area it said were carrying drugs, killing more than 80 people. Trump said in November he would order land strikes against Venezuela soon, and the US seized a tanker carrying Venezuelan crude earlier this month. Trinidad's rejection of the Venezuelan claims follow a standoff between the hydrocarbon producers over agreements to develop an offshore natural gas field in Venezuelan waters close to their maritime border that has an estimated 4.3 Tcf in reserves. Trinidad described a Venezuelan decision to terminate all natural gas supply contracts with it as "propaganda". The southwestern tip of gas-short Trinidad is 11 miles from Venezuela's north coast, and the country has been seeking gas from Venezuelan offshore fields to support up declining domestic output. By Canute James Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Mexico central bank cuts target rate to 7pc

19/12/25
News
19/12/25

Mexico central bank cuts target rate to 7pc

Mexico City, 19 December (Argus) — Mexico's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 7pc, its lowest level since June 2022, maintaining a slower pace in the easing cycle on inflation concerns. The decision marked the eighth rate cut this year and the fourth quarter-point reduction following four consecutive half-point cuts. This year's cuts follow five quarter-point cuts in 2024 from a cyclical peak of 11.25pc in March. The board approved the cut in a 4-1 vote, with deputy governor Jonathan Heath dissenting in favor of holding the rate at 7.25pc. Heath has been the lone dissenter in the past five decisions, consistently urging greater caution. The central bank said the decision reflected "the behavior of the exchange rate, the weakness of economic activity and the possible impact of changes in global trade policies," repeating language used in its last four statements. Gabriela Siller, chief economist at Banco Base, pointed to a "significant change" in the bank's forward guidance, noting a shift toward a less dovish tone. The board said it "will consider when to make further adjustments" to the policy rate, replacing the "will consider cutting" language used in November. Mexican bank Banorte also said the central bank struck a less dovish tone, pointing to a change in its forward guidance. Annual inflation rose to 3.8pc in November from 3.57pc in October, according to statistics agency Inegi. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, accelerated to 4.43pc from 4.28pc. The central bank now sees headline inflation ending 2025 at 3.7pc, up from 3.5pc in its November forecast, while core inflation is projected at 4.3pc, revised from 4.1pc. It also raised its headline and core forecasts for the first two quarters of 2026, while maintaining that both will converge to its 3pc target by the third quarter. The bank said the revisions mainly reflect a "more gradual-than-expected" easing in services inflation, along with a smaller contribution from accelerating consumer goods prices. The board also addressed recent tax reforms, which it expects will have a temporary and not necessarily proportional impact on prices, adding it will update its forecasts as it conducts a comprehensive assessment of the revised tax code's effects. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Viewpoint: Bitumen markets eye pockets of demand

19/12/25
News
19/12/25

Viewpoint: Bitumen markets eye pockets of demand

London, 19 December (Argus) — Paving activity may strengthen in some European and north African markets in 2026, but several others are expected to see continued declines in bitumen demand. Germany could lead any recovery, market participants said, as a new government plans to expand and maintain the road network. The country — once Europe's bitumen powerhouse — had a weak 2025, but paving work is expected to lift consumption from mid-2026. German bitumen demand has fallen by more than 20pc since 2021, while France and the UK are down by over 25pc in the same period. Budget constraints and high inflation drove these declines. Sweden, Norway and Denmark — already demand drivers in 2025 — could strengthen further in 2026. Road budgets are set to rise as governments prioritise infrastructure and the value of well-maintained highways, possibly linked to higher defence spending as Nato strengthens in Europe. North Africa has also drawn European Mediterranean surplus cargoes , and market participants expect demand from the region to increase next year, led by Algeria, Morocco and some Libyan consumption. Elsewhere, there is little cause for optimism. In France, most participants expect 2026 demand to be weaker than in 2025. With the government beset by regular upheaval and parlous public finances, road spending seems an unlikely priority. Several other northwest and central European countries will also see steady to lower bitumen consumption in 2026. Meanwhile, prospects for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia remain slim, so a large upswing in Ukrainian import demand looks unlikely next year. Export opportunities outside Europe also appear limited, as Asia-Pacific and the Middle East remain well supplied and demand there stays slow. South Africa, now reliant on imports, is more likely to source from the Mideast Gulf or Pakistan than from the Mediterranean. The prospects of shipping product to the US could improve in the coming months, with Mediterranean bitumen values currently firm relative to crude and fuel oil. But large volumes seem unlikely. Some Mediterranean cargoes moved to the US last year, but the trend was short-lived. In the bitumen freight market, several new larger tankers will enter service in 2026, increasing vessel availability in what will still be a weak market. This could weigh on freight rates but help offset higher costs from the EU ETS scheme, which comes fully into effect in 2026 after its 2024 implementation. Bitumen prices fell in 2025 and are expected to stay under pressure through winter, before seasonal gains from March 2026. Markets should see greater strength relative to fuel oil in summer as bitumen demand typically rebounds then. Demand for bitumen was generally weaker across most European countries in 2025 than in 2024, weighing on prices. Budgets came under pressure and political challenges contributed to a lack of focus on infrastructure and road maintenance spending. Bitumen prices hit historic lows in 2025, partly offsetting inflation-driven increases in building, equipment and material costs. By Jonathan Weston Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US House passes bill to expedite permitting

18/12/25
News
18/12/25

US House passes bill to expedite permitting

Washington, 18 December (Argus) — The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill designed to fast-track permitting for energy projects and reduce related litigation risks. But a last-minute change Republicans made to exclude some offshore wind and solar projects led some Democrats and a major clean energy group to withdraw support, complicating the bill's chances of passage in the Senate. The Republican-controlled House voted 221-196 to pass the SPEED Act, with 11 Democrats crossing the aisle to vote for what would be the most significant changes to federal permitting in years. The bill will now advance to the US Senate, where proponents will likely need to agree to make significant changes if they hope to pick up the votes of at least seven Democrats to avoid a filibuster. The bill "finally brings common sense by cutting red tape that dramatically increases the cost and, in some cases, just makes it economically unfeasible to do projects", House Republican majority leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) said. The SPEED Act focuses on revising project reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which is a source of delay and litigation risk for pipelines and renewable projects alike. The bill would require federal agencies to narrow those reviews and uphold those decisions even if federal courts find them to be inadequate. The bill would also provide permit "certainty" by limiting the government's ability to rescind prior approvals, averting a repeat of events like the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline. "We applaud the House for advancing the SPEED Act, a bipartisan, commonsense step toward fixing a federal permitting system that's long been broken," oil industry group the American Petroleum Institute said. Republican leaders were hoping 30-40 Democrats would join them to support the SPEED Act. The bill had broad bipartisan support when it was drafted because of provisions meant to prevent permitting delays that have plagued both oil and gas pipelines and renewable energy development. But Republican leaders, to satisfy far-right conservatives, made a change to the bill earlier this week that would prevent its expedited permitting procedures from benefiting any project that Trump's administration has blocked or revisited since 20 January. The Trump administration has targeted multiple offshore wind and solar projects this year and has ordered the developer of the nearly complete 704MW Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island to stop construction. That change fractured a bipartisan coalition that had spent months working on technology-neutral permitting language. The American Clean Power Association, the largest industry group for US renewable energy, on Wednesday withdrew its support of the bill , arguing the "poison pill amendment" that Republicans made eviscerated bipartisan language that gave expedited permitting treatment for all types of energy resources. A number of House Democrats who had backed the bill also withdrew their support. American Clean Power plans to work with both parties in the Senate to make changes. "This is not the final draft," representative Scott Peters (D-California) said during floor debate Thursday, vowing to work with his colleagues in the Senate to address House Democrats' concerns. By Chris Knight and Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Ithaca first to try new UK North Sea regime

18/12/25
News
18/12/25

Ithaca first to try new UK North Sea regime

London, 18 December (Argus) — UK-listed upstream producer Ithaca Energy has begun the approval process for a development in the North Sea, the first since the government softened its approach to the region. Ithaca has submitted a development summary and environmental statement for the Fotla field to the offshore regulator Opred. It outlines a two-well tie-back to the Britannia platform, which processes liquids from the Greater Britannia Area, including Ithaca's Alder field. Ithaca indicates that if the process is successful, drilling will begin in the first half of 2027, with first oil in the final quarter of that year. This is the first submission of an offshore proposal since the UK government published its 'North Sea Future Plan' alongside its budget in late November. That enables "limited oil and gas production in areas that are already part of an existing field, or in areas adjacent to already licensed fields, linked via a tieback, to help ensure they remain economically viable". Developers are not permitted to explore for oil and gas at these sites, and a ban remains on new oil and gas licensing. London's stance on North Sea development has delayed the Rosebank project, in which Ithaca holds a 20pc stake, and the company's west of Shetland Cambo project. Ithaca expects its production to average 119,000-125,000 b/d of oil equivalent (boe/d) this year. By Ben Winkley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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