France Oil: Refining Decline & Import Dependence
France consumes about 1.53 million barrels of petroleum per day (2025), #14 among the countries tracked here. France produces very little crude, runs an aging and shrinking refining fleet dominated by TotalEnergies, and relies on imports of both crude and finished fuels, especially diesel.
Key Figures
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum consumption (#14 of tracked) | 1.53 Mb/d | 2025 · EIA |
| Refining capacity | Fell to 62 million tonnes in 2019 from 98 million in 2009, a drop of about 40% | EIA country analysis, 2023 |
| TotalEnergies plants | Gonfreville (about 240,000 b/d) and Feyzin (about 109,000 b/d) are among its main French refineries | Industry data |
| 2022 strikes | Strikes took more than 60% of French refining capacity offline in autumn 2022 | Reuters / Euronews, Oct 2022 |
| Emergency stocks | Held by a stockholding agency, SAGESS, financed by industry, as in most EU states | IEA |
Rankings and comparisons: world production & consumption · reserves by country · biggest oil companies.
A Shrinking Refining Base
Why it matters
- As French refineries closed or converted, the country became a larger importer of diesel, which is used heavily in transport and freight.
- Concentration around a few TotalEnergies sites means a labor dispute or outage at one plant can visibly tighten national fuel supply, as the 2022 strikes showed.
- Nuclear power supplies most of France's electricity, so oil demand is concentrated in transport and petrochemicals rather than power generation.
What to watch
- Conversion of refineries to biofuels and the further closure of crude-processing units.
- Diesel import volumes, since they drive price gaps between France and its neighbors; see diesel vs gasoline.
- How emergency-stock obligations are met; see strategic reserves for the agency model France shares with Germany and Spain.
US Trade with France
| Flow | Latest month | Share of US total | vs year ago | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US distillate fuel oil exports to France | 19 kb/d | 1.1% | −54.8% | July 2026 |
| US kerosene-type jet fuel exports to France | 21 kb/d | 5.7% | — | July 2026 |
EIA monthly trade statistics, thousand barrels a day. Full rankings: US crude imports by country and US fuel exports by country.
Oil Companies Operating in France
| Company | Type | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| TotalEnergies | Integrated major | Publicly traded; no controlling shareholder. |
From the oil company directory: companies with material producing operations here or headquartered here, hand-curated from company filings.
France Oil FAQ
How much oil does France consume?
France consumes about 1.53 million barrels per day of petroleum and other liquids (2025), ranking #14 among the countries tracked here. Source: EIA international statistics.
How much refining capacity has France lost?
The EIA reports French capacity fell to 62 million tonnes in 2019 from 98 million tonnes in 2009, a decline of roughly 40%.
Why did French fuel supply tighten in 2022?
Strikes at refineries and depots took more than 60% of refining capacity offline in autumn 2022, according to Reuters, while diesel imports rose to cover the shortfall.
Does the United States export fuel to France?
Yes. In July 2026 the EIA recorded US exports to France of about 19 thousand b/d of distillate fuel oil, 21 thousand b/d of kerosene-type jet fuel.
Which oil companies operate in France?
The oil company directory lists TotalEnergies with producing operations in France. See the directory for who owns each company and which basins it works.