French refinery strikes to continue through the weekend

Strike action is continuing at four of France's six refineries today, with no sign of a breakthrough in pay negotiations between workers and management.

The CGT trade union met with ExxonMobil executives on 29 September, followed by a meeting with workers at the company's 236,000 b/d Port Jerome and 133,000 b/d Fos refineries earlier today. The meeting with ExxonMobil management was "useless", the union said, adding that executives had "neither the means nor the will to propose something new". The ExxonMobil strike, now in its 10th day, has shut down both of the firm's French refineries along with the Gravenchon petrochemical plant adjacent to Port Jerome.

Strikes are also continuing at some of TotalEnergies' downstream facilities in France. The company's 246,900 b/d Gonfreville refinery is shut because of industrial action, and workers have also downed tools at the firm's 109,300 b/d Feyzin refinery near Lyon, which had already halted following a fire. Workers at TotalEnergies' third French refinery, the 219,000 b/d Donges facility, are not out on strike but staff at the firm's 500,000 t/yr La Mede hydrotreated vegetable oil plant, its Carling petrochemical facility and its Flanders depot are.

The industrial action at TotalEnergies' sites had originally been expected to last for just three days from 27 September to 29 September, but the CGT said today it has no idea how long it will continue. TotalEnergies told Argus it remains able to supply its customers despite the industrial action and that it has not experienced any fuel shortages thanks to volumes in stock.

The firm added that the number of customers using its retail service stations in France has been around 30pc higher than normal since it began offering a network-wide discount on fuel prices on 1 September.

"Our team remains mobilised to cope with this higher-than-usual demand and continues to resupply the network, thanks to additional logistical measures," the company said.

By Adam Porter and Ruxandra Iordache