LNG Activities Resume at Dunkirk Terminal

Disruption at the Dunkirk liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal operated by Fluxys ended on Friday morning, a company spokesperson said, with shipping data showing a tanker carrying LNG from Russia has docked at the site.

Operations at the terminal have been disrupted since March 6 by strike action against the French government's planned pension changes, which President Emmanuel Macron decided to push through without a vote Thursday, causing violent unrest overnight.

Refinitiv data showed the ship Fedor Litke, carrying 160,000 billion cubic metres (bcm) of LNG from Yamal, Russia, had arrived at the terminal, the first since the strike action began.

"We have resumed our activities," a Fluxys spokesperson said.

A union official said the morning shift decided to follow the initial decision to reopen the terminal. The official added that a new general assembly, where members will vote on further disruptions, is expected early next week.

The official had said on Thursday evening that the action was expected to continue until Monday.

No ships have yet been seen docking at the three other French LNG terminals operated by Engie subsidiary Elengy, a Refinitiv analyst said.

An Elengy representative was not immediately available for comment on whether the situation had changed at its terminals. A company spokesperson had previously said the three terminals were expected to remain blocked until March 21.

(Reuters - Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by David Goodman and Jan Harvey)