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Rise in bitumen supply stabilises French values

  • Mercados: Oil products
  • 13/05/26

A rise in bitumen availability together with sluggish demand in the French market has weighed on domestic truck prices of the product.

An Iran war-related rise in bitumen prices during March and April, together with recent holidays, have weakened French bitumen demand, which has also come under pressure after regional market participants built up sufficient stocks over March and April. The extra spot availability in the past two weeks has reassured regional players that supply will remain adequate.

While there is expected to be some tightness in the west as TotalEnergies' 219,000 b/d Donges refinery undergoes two-month maintenance from mid-May, the Repsol-operated Nantes terminal has increased bitumen availability. The terminal — in the northwest — has three 4,000t storage tanks and is supplied by the Repsol/Moeve joint venture's 1.2mn t/yr Tarragona refinery, which exported roughly 12,000t to France in April. Bitumen prices from Nantes were €600-610/t ex-works.

In the north, prices were lifted after hard-grade bitumen from North Atlantic's 236,000 b/d Port Jerome refinery remained in short supply through late March and April. Output has since resumed, with spot offers in the €600-610/t ex-works range, according to market participants, although details could not be confirmed.

In eastern France, flows from Germany's 310,000 b/d Miro refinery increased in mid-April. Delivered prices from Miro fell by €18-20/t for May compared with April. The refinery is a key regional supplier, but was focused on middle distillate output in March after crude prices surged.

Argus assessed French domestic bitumen prices in the €575-590/t delivered range for the north and central region on 8 May, down by €15/t on the week. French imports reached 153,000t in January-April, compared with 155,000t in the same period of 2025.


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