The number of oil, gas and petrochemical tankers delayed at anchorage by the Fos-Lavera port strike in Southern France has grown to 45 vessels, local port agents said on Monday.
Agences Maritimes Barwil Pomme, a ship agent that specialises in oil and gas transportation, said as of 0800 (0900 GMT) there were 30 tankers that haul crude and refined products, 10 petrochemical tankers, and five gas carriers stuck outside the energy hub.
It also said that five more oil tankers had been stranded at Lavera's terminal berths since the strike began.
The total number of tankers delayed by the two-week old blockade is up from a total of 32 counted by the Marseille port authority on Friday. Some refineries have been forced to cut back production because of the disruption to crude supply and refined product exports.
"We had expected dock workers to return to work today - but now we are hearing that negotiations are not going so well," an agent in operations at Barwil told Reuters by telephone.
She said many other vessels, including container ships, had been delayed outside port by the strike action.