"The only thing that could happen, which is a major systemic
risk, is that the Republicans decide to stop exporting ... In
fact, I am not even sure it would be gas, it could be oil one
day," Pouyanne told a panel discussion when asked about any
potential global supply risks.
"Americans base all their policies on the domestic price of gas
or oil, they have resources, and if they feel that exports are
driving their prices up, they block us. Now, I can tell you
that, if in addition to the Russians, we lose American gas and
oil, it is not a shock, it is a super shock," he said, speaking
alongside other sector executives.
"From this point of view, the election can have an importance,
but in the end, it is not (the president) who decides, it's the
private actors."
At least 11 Republican candidates have announced that they will
try to win their party's nomination to take on Democratic
President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election. Few concrete
policy pledges have yet been made public.
The Biden administration last year conducted the largest ever
sale from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve of 180 million
barrels, part of a strategy to stabilise soaring oil markets and
combat high pump prices in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of
Ukraine.
The sale angered Republicans who accused the administration of
leaving the U.S. with too thin a supply buffer to adequately
respond to a future supply crisis.
Pouyanné also said he expected a "sustainably high" oil barrel
price due to the global shift towards cleaner sources of energy
and the decrease in oil investments.
(Reporting by Benjamin Mallet; Writing by Tassilo Hummel;
Editing by Alison Williams)
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