There is oil in France! In fact, 64 oil and gas deposits are currently in operation, mainly in the Aquitaine Basin and in the Paris Basin. Annual French production amounts to 0.8 million tonnes of oil, which represents 1% of the country's consumption.
Production in Brie dates back to the 1950s, when France aimed for oil self-sufficiency and began a series of major research programs in Seine-et-Marne. The first oil discovery was made here on February 22, 1958, at a depth of 1,875 m in the basement of the village of Coulommes. This deposit has produced around two million tonnes of oil, but of the fifty-seven wells drilled since 1958 on the concession, only four are still active.
This derrick was installed here by the municipality of Coulommes to commemorate this event.
Following the fluctuations in the price of black gold, the oil companies plan to resume exploration and the re-exploitation of the deposits of Seine et Marne.