Aug 1 Reuters Rhone Energies, a consortium of commodity trader Trafigura TRAFGF.UL and Entara LLC, has agreed with ExxonMobil39;s ESSO SAF to buy the FossurMer refinery and Toulouse and VillettedeVienne terminals in France.

Discussions with the relevant authorities are ongoing and the necessary authorisations are expected by the end of October, Trafigura said in a press release on Thursday.

The parties signed the sale agreement having completed an information and consultation procedure with employee representatives, Trafigura said.

Trafigura said it would have a minimum 10year exclusive crude oil supply and product offtake agreement for the 140,000 barrel per day bpd capacity FossurMer refinery when it announced it was in talks to acquire the site in April.

Trafigura39;s partner in the deal, Entara LLC, is an energy infrastructure company that focuses on reducing carbon intensity of refining assets.

The deal to acquire the refinery is Trafigura39;s second major acquisition this year. It also completed the acquisition of UK road fuels and biofuel supplier Greenergy on Thursday.

The acquisition of the FossurMer refinery follows a trend of trading firms picking up physical assets.

Trafigura also signed a longterm commercial agreement to supply crude and market products from the ISAB refinery on Sicily last year, when Russia39;s Lukoil sold it to private equity firm G.O.I. Energy.

Meanwhile, rival trader Vitol agreed to buy a controlling share of Saras, which…