Dutch offshore contractor closes HQ to prevent coronavirus spread

Dutch offshore contractor Heerema Marine Contractors is closing its office in the Netherlands to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

HMC said on Friday that the Dutch government had issued guidance to slow down and prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

In response, Heerema Marine Contractors will be closing its Leiden Office from March 13, 2020, until further notice, the company said.

“Our workforce is our most valuable asset, and by working out of office, we can minimize their risk of infection. Following a successful test of remote working, we can confidently continue with our duties from home. This smart-working will involve the use of email, Skype, and other means of communication. As the office will be unstaffed, direct telephones will be unavailable, so please make other arrangements.”

The coronavirus outbreak has caused disruptions in daily operations of oil and gas operators as well as oilfield services companies around the world.

In early February, Energean said it was working to stay on track with the delivery of its Energean Power FPSO hull, which is being built in China, amid Coronavirus outbreak.

In Italy, Saipem in late February advised its employees to stay at home and canceled and reduced to the minimum all missions to and from the risk areas abroad.

In Norway, one person at the Equinor-operated Martin Linge field in the North Sea tested positive on the coronavirus earlier this week.

Oil and gas operators are already planning to cut their spending in 2020 due to the current volatility in the oil market exarcebated by the oil price war and the coronavirus. Firms like Apache, Murphy Oil, Noble Energy, and Premier Oil have already made plans how to achieve the savings in the current environment.

Norwegian energy intelligence firm Rystad Energy this week estimated that the total capital and operational expenditure of exploration and production companies is now likely to be cut by $100 billion in 2020 and another $150 billion in 2021 if oil prices remain at a $30 level, a development that will heavily impact service company revenues, driving some out of the market.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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