French energy giant TotalEnergies has called for major investments in pipeline infrastructure across the Middle East to reduce global dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, warning that recent geopolitical tensions have underscored the vulnerability of one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.
Speaking at an energy conference in Paris on Tuesday, TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanné said the company now considers alternative export routes a strategic priority following months of heightened tensions involving Iran.
According to Reuters report, the CEO said:”The reality is that the Strait of Hormuz represents a genuine threat, so we must act,” Pouyanné said. “To ensure it doesn’t remain a threat, there is only one solution: we must invest in pipelines to bypass the strait. That is an absolute priority.”
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas passing through the narrow waterway. Any disruption has the potential to trigger volatility in global energy markets and raise concerns over supply security.
Pouyanné’s remarks come as energy companies and governments reassess geopolitical risks in the Middle East following months of regional instability that disrupted shipping and heightened concerns over the security of energy exports.
TotalEnergies is among the international oil majors with substantial investments across the Middle East, including projects in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, making the region central to its long-term growth strategy.
To diversify export routes, Pouyanné pointed to existing and potential pipeline corridors in Abu Dhabi and Iraq, as well as possible links through Syria and Turkey.
“When you are in Iraq and you need to reach the sea, you can go down through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, or head towards Syria or Turkey,” he said.
He also highlighted the company’s long history in Iraq, noting that TotalEnergies first discovered oil in the country in 1928 and subsequently helped build an export pipeline connecting Iraq to Syria within six years. At the time, crude transported through the pipeline was shipped across the Mediterranean to a refinery in southern France.
The comments reflect growing industry interest in expanding overland energy infrastructure as a means of strengthening supply-chain resilience and reducing reliance on vulnerable maritime routes. Analysts say additional pipelines could provide exporters with greater flexibility during periods of geopolitical tension while helping stabilize global energy supplies.
For investors and energy markets, renewed infrastructure investment in the Gulf could become a key theme as governments and producers seek to balance rising energy demand with increasing geopolitical and security risks.
Source:Reuters
