France set to secure an extra 295,000 metric tons of diesel a month from Gulf countries

PARIS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - France's presidency said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia had agreed to deliver additional quantities of diesel for "as long as necessary" after officials earlier said Paris expected to secure an extra 295,000 metric tons of diesel from Gulf countries.

France, Europe's second-largest diesel consumer, will get an additional 95,000 tons per month for October and November from Saudi Arabia, and 100,000 tons per month from the United Arab Emirates, a French presidency official told reporters on Tuesday.

A further 100,000 tons per month was also expected to come Bahrain, the official said.

"An agreement was reached with the Saudi authorities to extend, for as many months as necessary, the additional diesel volumes they had agreed to provide in order to guarantee our country's fuel supply," the French presidency said after President Emmanuel Macron concluded in Saudi Arabia a three-day trip to the Gulf region.

The presidency did not specify if it was referring to the same 95,000 tons a month previously agreed.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the French presidency official said TotalEnergies TTEF.PA would sign a contract with Bahrain's state-owned oil company BAPCO for a further 100,000 tons per month.

The official said the total secured this week would amount to just over 10% of diesel consumption in France, with further discussions continuing for the subsequent months.

The presidency statement also said Riyadh had welcomed France’s help in protecting its critical energy infrastructure in Yanbu.

France pledged in September to send air defence systems to help protect oil facilities in the face of attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.