Shell To Slash Exploration Workforce By 20% As Part Of $3bn Cost-Cutting Strategy

Shell plans to scale back its oil and gas exploration and development workforce by 20 per cent as its Chief Executive, Wael Sawan, widens his cost-saving drive to the highly profitable division.

This is coming after earlier deep cuts in renewables and low-carbon businesses, company sources told Reuters.

The restructuring in the exploration and wells development and subsurface units will see hundreds of job cuts around the world, and will be felt in particular in its offices in Houston, The Hague and to a lesser degree in Britain, the sources said.

The planned 20 per cent reduction is subject to consultations with employee representative bodies, the sources added.

Shell’s oil and gas production division, known as upstream, which includes the exploration and well development units, accounted for over one third of the company’s $28.25 billion in adjusted earnings in 2023, the report said.

Exploration is vital for oil and gas companies in order to replenish depleting reserves and discover new resources that, if developed, can be highly profitable.

Shell in recent years made significant discoveries in Namibia which it is now studying for potential development. A Shell spokesman would not comment on the reduction figures.

“Shell aims to create more value with less emissions by focusing on performance, discipline and simplification across the business. That includes delivering structural operating cost reductions of $2 billion to $3 billion by the end of 2025,” the company said in a statement.

Sawan, who took office in January 2023, has vowed to improve Shell’s performance to boost profitability and narrow a wide gap in its shares valuation compared with larger US rivals.

As part of the strategy, Shell plans to grow its liquefied natural gas division, steady oil production and focus on its most profitable businesses.

Shell in recent months scaled back operations in offshore wind, solar and hydrogen, sold retail power businesses, refineries and some oil and gas production, including in Nigeria.

In March, Shell weakened a 2030 carbon reduction target and scrapped a 2035 objective, citing expectations for strong gas demand and uncertainty in the energy transition.

The company’s shares have gained over 8 per cent so far this year, outperforming its European rivals and Chevron as investor confidence was buoyed by improving cash flow and the better performance of the company’s key assets.

In Nigeria, as part of the restructuring, Shell recently agreed to sell its onshore oil and gas business in Nigeria to a group dominated by local companies for $1.3 billion.

The transaction is seen as an effort by Europe’s largest energy company to reduce its risks in the country that is Africa’s largest oil producer.

Emmanuel Addeh

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