Major energy companies in the United States imposed work-from-home rules for office staff and began health checks for remote or critical workers as coronavirus spread and threatened an industry reeling from falling demand and profits.
BP, Exxon Mobil, Kinder Morgan, Motiva Enterprises, and Royal Dutch Shell told most office staff to work from home starting 16 March. Federal regulators on 13 March were pressed by companies to ease work rules for pipeline operators and to limit visits to some sites. Shell and Chevron began health checks of workers and visitors at some key US facilities, spokesmen said.
Offshore rigs, refineries, and pipelines require on-site teams and group workers in close quarters, making them vulnerable in a Covid-19 outbreak. They cannot be run remotely, and health checks could prevent forced shutdowns that could lead to big losses or local fuel shortages.
The pandemic has infected more than 156,000 people worldwide, including some 2,900 people in the United States; has killed more than 5,800 globally; and has slashed fuel demand amid shuttered schools, churches, offices, and some retail stores.
There is only one known case of Covid-19 to hit a US refinery. Marathon Petroleum, the nation’s largest refiner by capacity, removed some staff at a California plant after an employee became ill. Norwegian oil firm Equinor halted a North Sea development project and removed staff after an offshore worker fell ill.