A week-long strike by French port workers at the Fos-Lavera oil hub near Marseille could lead to refinery stoppages from the middle of next week, the country's petroleum industry body UFIP said on Wednesday. The strikers, who are protesting against the privatisation of the port complex, blocked 49 ships, including 14 oil tankers and 24 vessels carrying oil products. UFIP said the strike, which entered its seventh day on Wednesday, could force refiners to stop some plants as soon as the middle of next week.
'It takes on average two weeks of strike for refineries to stop working,' UFIP's spokesman told Reuters by telephone.
'We are now calculating that the strike is costing $1.5-2 million per day to the oil industry,' he said, adding this was $500,000 more than what the body had initially estimated.
The strategic Fos-Lavera port, with an annual oil traffic of 64.2 million tonnes, supplies crude to six refineries in southern and eastern France with an output capacity of 800,000 barrels per day.
'It takes on average two weeks of strike for refineries to stop working,' UFIP's spokesman told Reuters by telephone.
'We are now calculating that the strike is costing $1.5-2 million per day to the oil industry,' he said, adding this was $500,000 more than what the body had initially estimated.
The strategic Fos-Lavera port, with an annual oil traffic of 64.2 million tonnes, supplies crude to six refineries in southern and eastern France with an output capacity of 800,000 barrels per day.