The oil group is accused of co-producing gas in Siberia which ultimately ends up on bases of the Russian army engaged in Ukraine.
TotalEnergies said in a statement on Friday that it had received new information from its Russian partner Novatek confirming that the fuel manufactured by their joint venture is not intended for Russian warplanes. The French group thus once again denies information published in the French daily Le Monde, compiled with the NGO Global Witness, according to which the gas it co-produces in Siberia ultimately ends up on bases of the Russian army engaged in Ukraine.
“As a shareholder of Novatek (at 19.4%, editor’s note), TotalEnergies seized the management of Novatek on August 25 with a request for information on the future of the gas condensates produced by the Termokarstovoye field in Russia. to help shed the most complete light on the recent controversy (launched) by the newspaper Le Monde”, he explained in a press release on Friday. According to the response provided by Novatek, “all unstable condensates produced by our subsidiaries and companies linked to Novatek, including Terneftegas (a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Novatek, editor’s note), are treated in our condensate stabilization plant in Purovsky “.
“No, TotalEnergies does not produce kerosene for the Russian army”
“All of the condensates stabilized at the Purovsky plant from the production of Novatek’s subsidiaries and related companies, including Terneftegas, are delivered to the Ust-Luga industrial complex in the Leningrad region. This Ust-Luga industrial complex manufactures a series of products including kerosene which is exclusively exported outside of Russia and this jet fuel does not have the necessary certificates to be sold on the Russian market”, adds Novatek, quoted by TotalEnergies on Friday. “As a result, it is clear that certain media allegations and calls to investigate TotalEnergies’ activities in our joint ventures have absolutely no basis in fact,” Novatek said. The French group therefore reaffirms that “no, TotalEnergies does not produce kerosene for the Russian army”.
Asking “that this unfounded controversy which damages the reputation of the company be put to an end”, the ex-Total threatens to “take all legal action to put an end to it if it still proves necessary”. The French Minister Delegate for Transport, Clément Beaune, had called on Thursday to “shed light” on the accusations against TotalEnergies, assuring that it was an “extremely serious subject”.