Total Delays Grandpuits Refinery Restart as Fuel Demand Plummets

French oil and gas major Total said on Monday that it has postponed the restart of its 102,000 barrels per day (bpd) Grandpuits refinery near Paris indefinitely because of a drop in fuel demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

The refinery halted production at the start of the month for scheduled maintenance at some units. It was expected to resume production at the end of the month, Total said in a statement.

“Due to the fall in fuel demand caused by the Covid-19 epidemic... management has decided to postpone the restart of the refinery,” the company said, adding that only partial activities would be maintained.

(Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Barbara Lewis)