The Anglo-Dutch group will cut between 7,000 and 9,000 positions by the end of 2022

LONDON • Royal Dutch Shell plc will axe up to 9,000 jobs or more than 10% of its global workforce, the energy giant said yesterday as the coronavirus pandemic slams oil demand and prices.

The Anglo-Dutch group will cut between 7,000 and 9,000 positions by the end of 2022, including 1,500 staff who has agreed to take voluntary redundancy this year, it said in a statement.

“This is an extremely tough process. It is very painful to know that you will end up saying goodbye to quite a few good people,” said Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, who oversees 80,000 staff across more than 70 countries.

“But we are doing this because we have to, because it is the right thing to do for the future of the company.

“We have to be a simpler, more streamlined, more competitive organisation that is more nimble and able to respond to customers,” he added.

The virus has hit the entire energy sector, with Shell’s fierce rivalBPplcaxingabout10,000jobs or15%ofitsstaff.

Shell yesterday added that it aims to generate annual savings of between US$2 billion (RM8.4 billion) and US$2.5 billion by also cutting back on refining capacity. It will help the company to achieveaUS$3billion-US$4billion efficiency drive announced in March and that runs to 2021.

Shell had in July flagged that job cuts were in the pipeline after posting a colossal US$18.1-billion second-quarter (2Q) net loss. Yesterday, it warned that it would suffer more post-tax impairment charges of US$1 billion-US$1.5 billion in full 3Q earnings due next month.

Van Beurden added that Shell was looking at a raft of other areas where it can cut costs, such as travel, its use of contractors and virtual working.

Covid-19 slammed the brakes on the global economy and sent oil prices off a cliff — even causing them to briefly turn negative in April.

The market also crashed on the back of a vicious price war between key producers Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The resulting meltdown ravaged revenues and profits.

Shell was already in the red in the 1Q, which prompted it to cut its shareholder dividend for the first time since the 1940s.

Oil prices currently stand at about US$40 per barrel, which is still well down on the same time last year.—AFP