LyondellBasell group wants to close its refinery in Berre, in the Bouches-du-Rhone. If the project is completed, France will have lost three refineries in a year. The number of hexagonal sites will be increased from 23 to 10 in the space of 40 years. Employees of the LyondellBasell refinery in Berre, in a social movement in 2010.
The carnage continues for oil refineries. Total after Dunkirk in 2010 and Petroplus to Reichstett (Bas-Rhin) in June, the American petrochemical company LyondellBasell announced Tuesday plans to close its refinery in Berre, in the Bouches-du-Rhone, which it considers unprofitable .
The site employs 370 employees in a petrochemical complex in 1270 employees will lose 120 million euros a year depending on the direction. But the group failed to sell it. No less than "85 entities around the world were approached during the sale process, to no avail.The refinery has in fact been no bid "has he explained. This ensures that only 370 jobs are directly affected refining risk. But unions argue that the loss of jobs could extend to the entire complex.
In response, nearly a thousand employees voted in a general meeting Tuesday the start of a "strike hard" for 48 hours. Wednesday, the entire petrochemical complex was shut down. Between 200 and 300 employees are present for locking, according to unions. The next general meeting is scheduled this Thursday at noon. Those decisions involved a year to the day after the start of great social movement that paralyzed almost all French refineries and caused a fuel shortage.
General meetings in nine out of ten sites
And the risk of a new scale strike is beginning to emerge.The movement of employees of LyondellBasell could spread, even if solidarity is shy at the moment. Employees of nine of the ten French refineries have held general meetings on Wednesday. And could lead to possible actions. But for now, only employees of the Total refinery at Donges, Loire-Atlantique, voted in favor of an immediate movement but symbolic: a decline in production to a minimum flow for 24 hours.
On the side of the Total refinery in Gonfreville l'Orcher, near Le Havre, general meetings were also held. But only a third of the participants voted in favor of a strike and the unions did not consider the results sufficient to initiate an action. A Fos-sur-Mer, in the ExxonMobil refinery, there was no general meeting.
The situation could change Friday.A meeting of employees of the four sites in the area of Berre be held and could lead to possible actions. If the strike is decided, it could spread to other refineries.
France lost 12 refineries in 40 years
The future seems to darken French refineries from year to year. There were 23 in the late 70's, there are no more than 11 still active today. And the closure of the Berre could add to this sad list. Refineries "are in excess production capacity, and do not have sufficient opportunities" because of "demand is very sluggish," said Jean-Louis Schilansky President of the French Union of Petroleum Industries (Ufip). It will even "operating loss of several hundred million euros" in 2011, a trend in "neighbor" of 2009, when they lost 1 billion euros, "he added.According to Les Echos, refining margins, which represent the difference between the price of refined products and their production costs, decreased by 60% between 2008 and 2009. And are now at a "crisis level".
French refineries were in effect in 2010, almost 82 million tonnes of petroleum products like gasoline, diesel or fuel oil. But demand remains well below capacity. Consumption in France in 2010 reached 33.6 million tonnes of diesel and 8.2 million tonnes of gasoline. "Since 2007, there was a drop in consumption in Europe related to energy conservation, and the phenomenon is exacerbated by economic crises," said Constancio Silva, an economist at the French Petroleum Institute-New Energies.
"The divestitures or closures inevitable"
He said the refiners were not able to adapt to changes in demand.They suffered from the rise of the French nuclear fleet. This has indeed led to a decline in demand for heavy fuel oil, which was used previously to operate power plants.
In addition, refiners have invested in the 70 and 80, in units of gasoline production, then the fuel most consumed in France. But they were surprised by the explosion in demand for diesel, accentuated by a favorable tax and lower consumption of diesel engines. The sale of diesel fuel currently represents 75% of fuel sales in France. Motorists consume 33 million tons, but French production capacity amounts to only 20 million. Refineries hexagonal therefore find themselves being forced to export 30% of its production of gasoline, including the United States where, again, demand has slowed.According to the Professional Committee of oil, gasoline sales abroad have in fact fallen by 20%. And Parellel, oil companies are forced to buy diesel fuel abroad, which increases their expenses.
In this context, "ultimately, disposals or closures will be inevitable," says the Ufip. Pessimism that refuses to admit the unions. In response to the closure of the Berre, CFDT and CGT federations in the industry, oil chemistry yelled "stop the slaughter." "This announcement is unacceptable. For it is not linked solely to the problems of weak refining margins and the inadequacy of the means of production with the market, the surplus of gasoline and diesel deficit" Have they denounced.
According to them, refinery closures meet market logic and a lack of investment.The FNIC-CGT calls "a multi-year investment" on the basis of the report of the French Institute of Petroleum, which presented June 22, through investment, featured tracks of development for French refineries.
An argument shared by Thomas Porcher, PhD in economics author of "A barrel of oil against 100 lies." He said the lack of investment to change the production structure of French refineries explains their lack of profitability. "Despite the record profits from the price effect of rising oil prices, these investments were ousted in favor of a preference for investments in refineries near the mining areas. This is the case Total in Saudi Arabia with the Jubail refinery example. It can produce low-cost, because of its proximity to the deposits.But it is especially with a modern production system to adapt the ratio diesel / petrol desired. The problem of refining French could no longer be similar "to a lay-sector" including the means of production have become unsuitable as a problem of competitiveness. While the first causes the second "he says.