In the heart of Provence,
one of Europe’s largest
strategic oil storage sites

Discover

Since 1967, Géosel has been one of the warrants of France’s sovereignty and energy security.

From Manosque, in Provence, to the Marseilles harbour area of Fos-Berre, Géosel is one of the largest hydrocarbon storage facilities in Europe, ensuring both operational and strategic services. Its mission is twofold: provide hydrocarbons storage and transportation services to the local petrochemical industry , and to store part of the national strategic reserves of petroleum products, which can be mobilized in the event of a crisis.

Hydrocarbons are stored in underground caverns located in the deep geological salt layers of the Manosque subsoil, in the heart of the Luberon (Provence) area.

The cavities must remain permanently full, which is why their capacity is systematically completed with saturated brine (water with a high salt concentration), depending on the inflow and outflow of hydrocarbons.

Géosel’s brine reserves are stored in the Lavalduc and Engrenier basins at Fos. Brine is an essential tool for the proper management of the Manosque hydrocarbons storage facility.

Additionally, Géosel owns and operates a 300 km-long network of of pipelines to transport hydrocarbons between Manosque and the main petrochemicals hubs in south-eastern France.

Géosel is an example of the successful coexistence of a sensitive natural environment and an industrial activity.

Million m3
of storage capacity

Salt caverns

Km
of pipelines

Saturated
brine basins

Million m3 of hydrocarbons transported per year

Pumping
stations

Years
in business

A word from François Martin, Chairman of Géosel

As a major player in hydrocarbon storage in Europe, Géosel has a dual vocation: to store a major part of France’s strategic oil reserves and to provide logistics services to the regional petrochemical industry.

Thanks to its rich history and strong technical performance, Géosel is particularly committed to the sustainability of its activities, offering safe and low-emission underground storage, and to its local roots, as demonstrated by its many partnerships.

We are convinced that the future can only be built by combining industrial excellence, environmental responsibility and local commitment. This is why we keep on investing to maintain our safety standards, further reduce our carbon footprint and prepare for the energy transition.

François Martin – President