Maersk Oil to Cut Up to 12% of its Global Workforce

File Photo: Maersk Group

Maersk Oil says it intends to implement workforce reductions amounting to 10% to 12% of its global workforce amid the low price of oil.

The move, announced Monday by the oil and gas unit of Danish conglomerate Maersk Group, is part of the company’s drive to reduce operating costs by 20% by the end of 2016 and follows an extensive internal review of business activities and continued low oil prices, the company said.

The impacts will see a reduction in the number of employee and contractor roles in a range of Maersk Oil business locations, as well as the company’s headquarters, the company said. It brings the total number of positions taken out of the organization during 2015 to approximately 1,250.

“These are difficult decisions for any business and my immediate concern is for the welfare of those affected directly by today’s news,” said Maersk Oil CEO Jakob Thomasen.

“We are operating in a materially changed oil price environment and have taken necessary decisions to reduce activity levels through 2015, and ensure we focus where we can see adequate returns from our most robust projects. This approach has seen us sanction mega-projects like Johan Sverdrup and Culzean during the year. We remain focused on longer term growth opportunities, which play to our technical strengths, and the continued safety of all our people and assets.”

“We expect the pressure to continue into 2016 and we must remain cost-focused to grow in this market. I commend our people for the improvements in our operating performance whilst we have been managing down costs across the organization,” he said.

Business Units in Qatar and Norway will implement reductions in line with the 10-12% range, with slightly lower levels in the Danish operations, in Kazakhstan and in the company’s Copenhagen headquarters, Maersk Oil said.

In the UK, Maersk Oil has already outlined plans to reduce headcount by around 220 positions as a result of the retirement of the Janice asset and changes to the offshore rotation. Meanwhile 60 roles in Angola and the United States associated with delays in the Chissonga project were announced last month. Both of those reductions are included in the numbers revealed in Monday’s announcement, the company said.

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