Paris - (AFP) - French giant Total Energy said Thursday that the rise in global oil and gas prices helped it achieve a huge jump in profits in the third quarter of the year.

Net profit increased 43 percent compared to the same period last year to $6.6 billion, with record performance for the natural gas and liquefied natural gas units.

During the first nine months of the year, the company earned 17.3 billion dollars, while its profits during the past year amounted to 16 billion dollars.

The company made the profit despite a new $3.1 billion provision for Russia-related risks, after two provisions in the first two quarters.

The oil group's huge profits could fuel a heated debate in France over whether an extraordinary tax should be imposed on energy companies in order to help fund measures to protect consumers from rising prices.

French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his opposition to this measure during a televised intervention on Wednesday evening.