ExxonMobil workers end strikes at French refineries

Workers at ExxonMobil's downstream sites in France are ending a month-long strike over changes to pension rights at 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT) today.

Striking staff will return to work this afternoon at the company's 236,000 b/d Port Jerome unit near Le Havre and its 133,000 b/d Fos refinery on the Mediterranean. Pickets will also be lifted, according to refinery workers.

Port Jerome already began to restart units yesterday. Fos has managed to keep operating at very low levels through the strike, but few oil products deliveries have been carried out during the month of industrial action.

Workers at TotalEnergies' said they plan to vote tomorrow whether to continue strike action. The firm's 246,900 b/d Gonfreville refinery in Le Havre remains halted, although some workers have been requisitioned by local authorities this week to allow some oil products to leave from stocks.

TotalEnergies' 219,000 b/d Donges refinery and its 500,000 t/yr La Mede hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) plant remain shut. But its Flanders logistics depot is working normally and its 109,300 b/d Feyzin refinery near Lyon, is operating at low levels.

UK-Chinese refiner Petroineos' 207,100 b/d Lavera unit is halted, and dockers at the Fos-Lavera terminals remain on strike. They have not given any notice of when they intend to return to work. As a result of the dockers strike a backlog of around 12.5mn bl of crude has built up at the port.

A round of nationwide strikes are taking place today across a string of sectors including railways, municipal sites and logistics.

By Adam Porter