On Wednesday, the French government said that the nation has used strategic gasoline reserves to restock gas stations that were running low on fuel. The decision was made as a result of worker strikes at depots and refineries. Production has been stifled, and deliveries have been hindered.
Although there were ‘tensions,’ government spokesman Olivier Veran insisted that there was no nationwide scarcity of fuel supplies. He warned people not to buy in a hurry.
Authorities have outlawed the sale of gasoline and diesel in jerry cans and other portable containers in the hardest-hit Hauts-de-France region.
‘We are obviously monitoring very, very closely the situation together with the operators and, here and there, when it was necessary, we have used our strategic stocks to enable the stations to be supplied,’ Veran told reporters.
A walkout by hard-left CGT trade union members at TotalEnergies has disrupted operations at two refineries and two storage facilities, while two Exxon Mobil refineries have faced similar problems since Sept. 20.
More than 60% of France’s refining capacity is no longer operational as a result.
According to Veran, there were occasional shortages at about one in ten service stations nationwide, although the number was closer to one in three in the north.
The UFIP petroleum industry group claimed that logistics, not a lack of supplies, were to blame for the shortages at gas pumps.
According to a UFIP representative, there are no supply constraints as a result of the strikes.
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