French refining feels the squeeze
Tougher economics could spark another rationalisation in the sector
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has seen European refining margins turn negative for the first time since the IEA began tracking them in 2006. After milder conditions in the second half of the 2010s, France’s refining sector could again see casualties such as it experienced in the 2009-12 period. Back then, a third of the country’s 12 existing facilities stopped refining, although infrastructure was mostly repurposed as product storage. Closure of the Mardyck, Reichstett, Berre L’Etang and Petit Couronne plants removed a combined capacity of almost 400,000bl/d. European refineries, including those in France, have since benefitted from sustained lower crude prices post-2014, robust global
Also in this section
16 December 2025
The December 2025/January 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
16 December 2025
Abdullah Aljarboua serves as a senior fellow in the energy macro & microeconomics programme at KAPSARC. His work spans macroeconomics, energy-economic modelling, large-scale optimisation and advanced computational techniques for modelling complex energy policy dynamics. Here he speaks with Petroleum Economist about the Gulf region’s role in shaping the energy landscape over the coming decades
16 December 2025
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh in April 2026 brings together global leaders, scientists, policymakers and innovators at a pivotal moment in the world’s energy evolution.
15 December 2025
As contradictory as it might seem, US oil output has continued to grow over the last several years, even as drilling in the shale plays has maintained a slow decline. This improbable dichotomy is a testimony to the industry’s technological prowess
