TotalEnergies is in talks to import diesel from UAE, CEO says

TotalEnergies SE is in talks to import diesel and other fuels from the United Arab Emirates, heeding a call from the French government to source alternatives to Russian supplies ahead of winter.

European countries have reached out to Persian Gulf oil producers in recent months as they seek to replace shipments from Russia, the continent’s biggest source of energy. TotalEnergies is already increasing hydrocarbon imports from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations as it pulls back from Moscow.

“Under the initiative of the French government, we’re discussing an agreement to have access to diesel and fuel from the Emirates this winter, in case we need it,” Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said Wednesday at a Senate hearing in Paris. “There won’t be issues” with supplies of diesel and heating fuel in the coming months, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron will host the ruler of the oil-rich UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed, in Paris on July 18, people familiar with the matter said this week. Pouyanne confirmed the visit.

Russia has accounted for about 12% of Total’s imports of diesel and other fuels in Europe, though that will drop to zero by next February at the latest because of sanctions, Pouyanne said Wednesday.