One import terminal at France's Le Havre oil port opens
LONDON (Reuters)—At least one import terminal at France's Le Havre oil port in the north is open and taking in cargoes of much-needed diesel and jet fuel despite extended strike action.
Strikes have forced refiner Total to close four of its five French refineries and have closed off crude oil imports, including those at Le Havre's CIM terminal. However, the Societe Havraise de Manutentions de Produits Pétroliers (SHMPP) terminal at Le Havre, which handles oil products, is fully operational.
Shipping data showed four tankers carrying more than 110 Mt (thousands of tonnes) of diesel and one tanker with 90 Mt of jet fuel have discharged at the SHMPP terminal in the past week. Another three tankers carrying around 100 Mt of diesel are currently waiting to discharge.
The imports are crucial to France, Europe's second-largest diesel consumer, particularly as output from its own refineries is extremely limited as a result of the strikes. The CIM terminal is expected to remain closed as a result of strike action until June 8, according to port officials, and at least nine crude and oil product tankers were waiting outside the port to discharge.
A third terminal at Le Havre that handles chemicals, Sogestrol, is running normally.
(Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Libby George; editing by William Hardy)
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