US energy companies are moving to require that employees receive COVID-19 vaccinations as infection rates rise across the United States and health surveys show that energy workers remain among those most reluctant to get inoculations.
Calls to require vaccinations for employees working at close quarters in oilfield and refinery operations came as the US Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
The second-largest US oil producer, Chevron, and refiner Valero Energy will require jabs for certain field workers or new workers, while leading Permian producer Pioneer Natural Resources is requiring newly hired employees to be fully vaccinated before their first day of work, according to a job posting.
A spokesperson for Pioneer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Top oilfield services firm Schlumberger said last week some customers were requesting that its staff be vaccinated or tested before arriving on job sites.
"We continuously review our internal policies and procedures to ensure that we can meet our customers’ needs while prioritizing the health and safety of all our employees," a Schlumberger spokeswoman said in an email.