Macron secures extra diesel deliveries in the Gulf: 295,000 tonnes a month
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The president’s Gulf tour produced commitments on diesel. What is settled and what remains to be confirmed.
In this article
The essentials
According to the Élysée, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have each committed to supplying about 100,000 extra tonnes of diesel a month. With Saudi Arabia, the total reaches 295,000 tonnes a month, a little over 10% of French consumption.
Context
In France, fuel prices remain high because of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The government is widening aid for heavy drivers and releasing diesel from strategic stocks. The tour aimed to add supplies from abroad.
The visit to Qatar
The president landed in Doha on 20 October and was received on a state visit; he held talks with Emir Tamim at Lusail Palace. A strategic dialogue on energy, the economy, investment and defence is planned for the 21st. The CEO of TotalEnergies is part of the delegation.
Will prices fall?
The announced figures concern diesel; their effect on prices is not known. Before the trip, expert Francis Perrin thought it would not affect prices. The commitments made in Qatar were not yet reported at the time of writing.
The situation in France
After the weekend’s violence, the president refused Laurent Nuñez’s resignation and asked for new ways of acting against rioters, while continuing his tour. The opposition and the mayors of Paris, Marseille and other cities criticise the handling of law and order. According to Benjamin Morel, the trip may give a sense of normality but can also seem disconnected.
Commitments in Kuwait and elsewhere
Kuwait made “very clear commitments” to deliver diesel and jet fuel to Mayotte and La Réunion, via Oman to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The Emirates committed to about 100,000 tonnes a month and Bahrain was to supply as much. Patrick Pouyanné (TotalEnergies) said these agreements “will reassure the French” and that France “will not run out of diesel in February”.
The conflict and the stocks
The conflict has lasted eight months; Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has sent crude soaring, and diesel is one of the hardest-hit fuels. France is releasing 10 million barrels of diesel from its reserves, for a drop of 12 to 18 cents per litre (about 5 to 8%) from next month. The G7 agreed in October to draw up to 100 million barrels. According to Andreas Krieg, the Gulf states see “a growing entanglement” of their interests with Europe’s, in energy, supply chains and defence.
To keep in mind
The figures come from the Élysée, without independent verification. The start date of deliveries is not specified.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Ce qui est acquis et ce qui reste à confirmer.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
La tournée du président dans le Golfe a produit des engagements sur le diesel.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passé composé of pronominal verbs
se + present of être + past participle
Selon l’Élysée, les Émirats arabes unis et Bahreïn se sont engagés à fournir chacun environ 100 000 tonnes de diesel supplémentaires par mois.Key pointsThe passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.
04The imparfait
stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
La tournée visait à y ajouter des approvisionnements venus de l’étranger.Key pointsThe imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.
05The futur simple
stem (infinitive) + -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont
Patrick Pouyanné (TotalEnergies) a dit que ces accords « rassureront les Français » et que la France « ne va pas manquer de diesel en février ».Key pointsThe futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.
06The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Les chiffres annoncés concernent le diesel ; leur effet sur les prix n’est pas connu.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
07The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Le président a atterri à Doha le 20 octobre et a été reçu en visite d’État ; il s’est entretenu avec l’émir Tamim au palais de Lusail.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
08The gerund
en + present participle (-ant)
Après les violences du week-end, le président a refusé la démission de Laurent Nuñez et demandé de nouveaux modes d’action face aux casseurs, tout en poursuivant sa tournée.Key pointsThe gerund means “while doing”, “by doing” or “when doing”. Its form is en + present participle (-ant). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add -ant (faire → faisant). The subject is normally that of the main clause. It shows things happening at the same time, or the means.
09Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Les chiffres annoncés concernent le diesel ; leur effet sur les prix n’est pas connu.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
10Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon l’Élysée, les Émirats arabes unis et Bahreïn se sont engagés à fournir chacun environ 100 000 tonnes de diesel supplémentaires par mois.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
11Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
Selon Benjamin Morel, le voyage peut donner un sentiment de normalité mais aussi paraître déconnecté.Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
12Expressing a plan or a deadline
être prévu / prévoir / être envisagé
Un dialogue stratégique sur l’énergie, l’économie, l’investissement et la défense est prévu le 21.Key pointsPrévoir means “to plan, to expect”. Être prévu means “to be scheduled” and être envisagé means “to be under consideration”. In the news, read them separately from expressions that describe events that have already happened. They do not say that the event has already taken place.
13Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Le Koweït a pris des « engagements très clairs » pour livrer diesel et kérosène à Mayotte et à La Réunion, via Oman pour contourner le détroit d’Ormuz.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
大統領府によると、アラブ首長国連邦とバーレーンが、それぞれ月に約10万トンの軽油を、フランスに追加で供給すると約束しました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Plan, outlook and policy
〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針
アラブ首長国連邦は月に約10万トンを約束し、バーレーンでも、月に約10万トンを確保する見込みです。Key points予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.
03Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
野党と、パリやマルセイユなどの市長は、治安の対応を批判しています。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
大統領の湾岸訪問で、軽油の供給の約束が出ました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
トタルエナジーズのプヤンネ社長は、この約束で「フランス人は安心できる」と述べ、「2月に軽油が足りなくなることはない」と話しました。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Treating a clause like a noun with こと
plain-form sentence + こと + particle
何がどれだけ決まったのか、まだ決まっていないことは何かを整理します。Key points“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.