PARIS (Reuters) – Striking workers prevented delivery trucks carrying oil products, including gasoline, from leaving ExxonMobil (NYSE:) Chemical France’s Port-Jerome-Gravenchon refinery in northern France on Friday.
About 200 workers are on strike, an FNME-CGT union member said, and the action will continue until management returns to negotiations over ExxonMobil Chemical France’s plans to close part of the refinery.
“Due to the blockade around the terminals, some trucks are unable to load products from the Gravenchon refinery terminal. However, pipeline and boat loading are not affected,” an ExxonMobil spokesperson said.
Last month, ExxonMobil Chemical France said it would close the Gravenchon steam cracker and chemical production facility this year, adding that the site has lost more than 500 million euros ($534.40 million) since 2018 and remains uncompetitive.
The ExxonMobil spokesman said some chemical production units, including the steam cracker, were closed due to the strike.
“We regret that this may impact our ability to supply certain products,” the ExxonMobil spokesman said, adding that units that could be affected make polyethylene, polypropylene and resins.
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