Illustration of a petrol station running out of fuel. - FRED SCHEIBER / SIPA

On the eve of a weekend of return from vacation, only 1% of service stations are still experiencing supply problems, announced the French Union of Petroleum Industries (Ufip), adding that the difficulties observed in Paca and in Ile-de-France "disappear".

"The situation has improved a lot in the last three to four days, there has been a calming of the shipment side in the depots and refineries, we are almost in a normal situation," said Francis Duseux, president of Ufip . "The situation is healthy, and we have to tell people that they are not panicking at all for this weekend."

A call to block refineries from January 7 to 10

According to Ufip, up to 3% of the stations could have been affected at certain times during this conflict over the pension reform. At Total, 25 stations were out of service at 7:30 a.m. on Friday (0.7% of the Total network, which represents around a third of stations in France). With the exception of two depots at Grandpuits and La Mède with slow shipments, "no depot for the Total group is blocked and shipments are proceeding at a normal rate", indicated the oil group at midday. "There is no concern for the supply of the network throughout the weekend, especially in the Rhône Valley for the rise of vacationers," says the group.

“We continue to recommend to our customers not to change their consumption habits. The fuel supply chain in France has been adapted to meet the current situation. ” Concerning the call of CGT-Chimie to block the refineries from January 7 to 10, Francis Duseux indicates "not to believe" in a strong mobilization. "I do not believe it because in the refineries many employees do not want to strike, they do not want to break the work tool, and they are not concerned" by the reform project he says.

An "announcement effect to try to rush people to the pumps"

While a dialogue of the deaf settled between government and unions on this project, the CGT-Chemistry called for a hardening of the movement, with blockages of refineries, oil terminals and depots from 7 to 10 January. For the president of Ufip, this is an "announcement effect to try to rush people to the pumps and generate a shortage indirectly". On the side of Total, "we have not yet a vision," says one, while waiting for the GA scheduled for Monday in Grandpuits (Seine-et-Marne) and Donges (Loire-Atlantique) in particular.

Deposits are today at "satisfactory levels", the impact of a refinery blockage in the medium term should "not be significant", we add. The hibernation of a refinery takes several days and France has imports as well as 109 days of strategic stocks, notes Ufip. France has eight refineries (including the La Mède bio-refinery), five dependent on Total, two of Esso and one of Petroineos, and some 200 depots spread across the country.

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  • Strike
  • Pension reform
  • Gas station
  • Fuel
  • gasoline
  • Society