Energy Crisis Sparks Record Profits for Oil Giants Amid Economic Losses

The global energy crisis has led to a surge in fuel prices, causing significant economic losses for European countries. According to a report by the Transport & Environment public organization, the average price of diesel in Eurozone countries increased by 40% between January and late August, while premium gasoline prices rose by 28%. This translates to an additional 203 million euros per day for private car owners and trucking companies.

The European Commission confirmed that EU member states spent 90 billion euros more on fuel imports than in the previous year, despite unchanged supply volumes. Specialists emphasize that this figure does not account for lost revenue from fuel tax cuts, which would make overall economic losses even higher.

Despite the crisis, oil giants such as Saudi Aramco and BP reported record profits. Saudi Aramco's semi-annual profits surpassed 67 billion dollars, while BP recorded a 139% increase in quarterly profits. French TotalEnergies posted corporate earnings of 6 billion dollars, double those of the previous quarter.

The crisis has also led to proposals for temporary measures to address the shortage. Emmanuel Macron suggested permitting the production of lower-grade fuel, which would raise output by 5-20%. However, critics argue that this could have negative impacts on vehicle performance and engine durability.