AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT SHELL (03/14/24)

MARCH 14, 2024 — 20% REDUCTION IN DEALS TEAM

The company has announced another cost-cutting initiative that will see a 20% reduction in force in its mergers and acquisition teams which numbers in the hundreds.

According to a company spokesperson, "Shell aims to create more value with fewer emissions by focusing on performance, discipline, and simplification across the business. Achieving those reductions will require portfolio high grading, new efficiencies, and a leaner overall organization."

JULY 1. 2021 — BIG CHANGES COMING TO SHELL

The company has announced its intent to leave Aera, its Bakersfield, California-based oil and gas producing joint venture with Exxon Mobil Corp.

This follows the company’s continuing divestiture of carbon-intensive operations to meet the challenges of stricter climate goals in the future, including the potential sale of producing assets located in the Texas Permian Basin.

The company has already sold its refinery in Washington state to Holly Frontier Corp and its stake in a Houston-area refining joint venture to Petroleos Mexicanos.

The company is also considering a sale of its assets in the Permian Basin of Texas, Reuters previously reported.

DECEMBER 29, 2020 — 698 SHELL LAYOFFS WITH COMPLETE CLOSURE OF CONVENT REFINERY.

Houston, Texas-based Royal Dutch Shell has announced that they are continuing to close their currently shuttered Convent, Louisiana, refinery beginning on the last day of February 2021.

Approximately 698 employees (including 340 union members) will be laid off with a small crew employed for maintenance and clean-up until third-quarter 2021 in preparation for an extended shutdown and possible sale.

The operation became unprofitable due to the global downturn in the gas and oil industry and the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on travel and destination sites. The company also indicated that the "1,100-employee (700 employees, 400 contractors) complex that produced jet fuel, gasoline, and diesel didn’t fit into its plans for a low-carbon future."

The company’s other refinery in Norco, Louisiana and its chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana are unaffected at this time, but the company is still offering a voluntary severance program for some workers at its Norco refinery.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT CONOCOPHILLIPS (09/04/25)

SEPTEMBER 04, 2025 — BLOODBATH ANNOUNCED

The company has announced it will cut 20-25% of its workforce (2,600 to 3,250 employees) as part of a broad restructuring. The reorganization is expected to be completed by February 2026.

According to CEO Ryan Lance, "I know these changes create uncertainty, and they are unsettling. As we streamline our organization and take work out of the system, we will need fewer roles."

Details to be announced later.

OCTOBER 31, 2024 — POST-MERGER REDUCTION IN FORCE WITH 500 EMPLOYEES TARGETED

ConocoPhillips is warning of a postmerger reduction in force following its acquisition of Marathon.

According to a company statement, “Marathon Oil expects the acquisition to close in the fourth quarter, and more than 500 employees located at its headquarters at 990 Town and Country Blvd. in Houston should expect to be laid off in the 12 months after closing.”

Marathon Oil CEO Lee Tillman said: “We’re mindful of the impact this announcement has on you, your families and your future and the uncertainty it creates. We know that there will be many questions about this transaction, particularly about how this impacts your employment.

“We aim to ensure that this transaction is respectful of the contributions of our employees, either by offering the opportunity to join the newly combined organization or by providing severance packages. Some employees may be offered full-time or transition positions at ConocoPhillips. Employees will also have the chance to apply for other open roles at ConocoPhillips.”

FEBRUARY 16, 2021 — 100 LAYOFFS IN ALASKA

The company has announced that it will be laying off 100 employees located in the State of Alaska.

According to a company spokesperson,

“This past year has emphasized the need for our company to stay focused on cost and become more efficient in what we do. With the acquisition of Concho Resources, we have revisited our overall structure and that has resulted in job losses company-wide.”

“Workforce changes like this are always difficult, but we care about every employee affected and will assist them with outplacement services and other associated benefits.”

“The workforce reduction is unrelated to recent court decisions that stopped works at the Willow field located in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The cessation of work will affect 120 company employees and contractors,”

DECEMBER 10, 2020 — Original post…

Houston, Texas-based ConocoPhillips, the multinational gas and oil exploration and production company have announced a major restructuring after its Concho acquisition. The restructuring will impact 500 employees commencing in February 2021.

According to a company spokesperson, “We have been transparent with employees that targeted workforce reductions in certain areas of our business may be necessary from time-to-time to align organizational capacity with expected future activity levels. In light of this and in anticipation of our acquisition of Concho Resources, which is set to close in the first quarter of 2021, ConocoPhillips is taking actions to align our business to remain competitive.”

The oil and gas sector has been beset with a global downturn and a major consolidation is occuring in the industry.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT BP

London, England-based BP, one of the seven super-major oil and gas companies in the world, has announced that the company will be laying off 250 salaried employees at the company's U.S. Pipelines and Logistics office located in Chicago, Illinois.

Also targeted is an unspecified number of employees at its eyeing potential cuts at its Whiting Refinery located in Whiting, Indiana.

In June 2020, BP CEO Bernard Looney announced a target reduction in workforce of 15% of its worldwide personnel, an estimated 10,000 employees.

By October 2020, it appears that approximately 2,500 people accepted voluntary separation packages, leaving 7,500 employees targeted for layoffs.

According to a company spokesperson, "As previously announced, BP is reducing its global workforce as part of our Reinvent BP process. As part of these reductions, BP has filed WARN notifications and notified government officials in Chicago and Illinois of planned reductions that will affect more than 250 employees at those sites."

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?