INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS

ESSO SAF plans to spend 8.6 billion francs ($1.53 billion) the rest of the decade to upgrade two refineries and its marketing network in France. Upgrades are scheduled at its 136,000 b/d Port Jerome refinery in northern France and the 100,000 b/d Fos sur Mer refinery on the Mediterranean coast. Esso earmarked 2.7 billion francs ($482 million) of that total to improve plant efficiency and install alkylation and desulfurization units. Esso will spend 2.2 billion francs ($392 million) to