Emmanuel Macron recently claimed that TotalEnergies does not make a profit in France, a statement that sparked debate. LFI deputy Clémence Guetté countered this by pointing out that TotalEnergies has increased its profit by 7.5 times over six months, contradicting Macron's assertion. The company has been selling its fuels at a loss in France for several months due to a voluntary price cap on fuel prices, set at 1.99 euros per liter of gasoline and 2.25 euros per liter of diesel. The average price at the pump currently stands at 2.165 euros per liter of SP95-E10 and 2.396 euros per liter of diesel. TotalEnergies' CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, stated that the price cap has cost the company "between 250 and 300 million euros" since the beginning of the war between the United States and Iran. However, the company's latest quarterly results do not specify these amounts further. Despite these losses from fuel sales, TotalEnergies is making significant profits from its refining activities in France. The company's net profit for the first half of the year reached 11.2 billion dollars, a 73% increase year-on-year. TotalEnergies operates throughout the oil industry chain, including extraction, refining, and sales. Jean-Pierre Favennec, an energy consultant and oil specialist, explained that refining margins are typically low, but during conflicts such as those in Ukraine or the Middle East, the price difference can rise to 30 or 40 dollars per barrel. Currently, TotalEnergies is making substantial profits in France through its refining activities. The refining activities of TotalEnergies generated about 500 million euros in the first quarter of 2026, with most of it generated in March. Patrick Pouyanné stated that TotalEnergies cuts its margins to apply the price caps but this does not prevent the company from continuing to make profits. The refining margin on Brent, an indicator of the theoretical profitability of refining activity, has increased from 160 euros per ton in March to 256 euros per ton in September. TotalEnergies has several refineries in France, including those in Donges (Loire-Atlantique), Feyzin (Rhône), and Gonfreville-l'Orcher (Seine-Maritime).