THE CEO OF TOTALENERGIES RECEIVED AT THE ELYSEE AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON RUSSIA, ACCORDING TO A SOURCE
PARIS (Archyde.com) – TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné took part in a meeting on Tuesday afternoon at the Elysee Palace after the group announced that it would not develop new projects in Russia, we learned from government source.
The oil and gas company also said on Tuesday morning that it would implement Europe’s sanctions against Russia regardless of the consequences – currently being assessed – on the management of its assets in the country.
TotalEnergies, on the other hand, has not taken a decision as radical as that of its competitors Shell, BP or Exxon Mobil, who have chosen to withdraw completely from their oil and gas activities in Russia.
“TotalEnergies’ statement was shared with the French authorities, who understood it well,” a company spokesperson said on Wednesday, without confirming or denying the reception of Patrick Pouyanné at the Elysée Palace.
The government source interviewed by Archyde.com did not give details on the nature of the exchanges between the CEO and the Presidency of the Republic.
The Elysée Palace subsequently indicated that Patrick Pouyanné had been received as a member of the “Dialogue du Trianon” with all the other members of this initiative launched in 2017 to link French and Russian civil societies.
“The president wanted to keep the members of the Dialogue du Trianon informed of the situation on the ground and the steps taken”, it was specified.
TotalEnergies is notably present in Russia via its 19.4% stake in the company Novatek, whose chairman Leonid Mikhelson is reputed to be close to the Kremlin.
According to the group’s latest registration document, the country accounted for 24% of its proven reserves and 17% of its combined oil and gas production in 2020.
TotalEnergies has significant liquefied natural gas (LNG) assets in Russia – in existing Yamal LNG facilities and in the Artic LNG 2 project – both directly and through its stake in Novatek.
(Report by Michel Rose and Benjamin Mallet; edited by Blandine Hénault)