Chevron Lays Off 111 ND Workers in Hess Acquisition, More Than Initially Planned

Chevron is laying off 111 workers in North Dakota following its acquisition of Hess Corporation, more than the seventy initially anticipated. Jeff Beach from the North Dakota Monitor reports the cuts include 63 positions in Minot and 48 in Tioga, beginning September 26th. North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness says consolidation is an industry trend as companies try to lower per-barrel costs amid oil prices running 16% below last year’s levels.

North Dakota has 32 active drilling rigs compared to 39 a year ago. Job Service North Dakota reports no increase in traffic at workforce centers, suggesting laid-off workers may have already found employment. Despite the layoffs, North Dakota’s unemployment rate remains low at 2.5%, with over 1000 oil and gas job openings in the state’s four core producing counties according to a state report.