ANGOLA – Chevron CEO Urged Safety Focus Weeks Before Deadly Angola Platform Blaze

June 12, 2025

In a company-wide video message dated April 29, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth emphasized the urgent need to reinforce safety protocols following a noticeable increase in near-miss incidents. His message came just weeks before a fatal fire on one of Chevron’s offshore platforms in Angola claimed the lives of three workers.

“We’ve observed a troubling rise in serious close calls recently,” Wirth said in the internal communication reviewed by Reuters. “Some of these incidents had the potential to be fatal.”

Wirth’s remarks followed Chevron’s February announcement of plans to reduce its global workforce by up to 20% as part of a cost-cutting initiative. The move aligns with similar workforce reductions across the energy sector, with companies like ConocoPhillips and SLB responding to falling oil prices—the lowest seen in four years—with staff cutbacks.

In the two-minute video titled “Do It Safely or Not at All,” Wirth urged employees to prioritize safety above all, regardless of internal changes or external pressures.

“There’s a lot happening right now, both within our organization and globally,” he said. “I’ve heard concerns that raising safety issues or stopping work may be viewed negatively in today’s climate. Let me be clear—it’s not.”

He reassured employees that Chevron remains committed to strengthening its safety culture and emphasized that speaking up about risks is encouraged.

On May 20, a blaze erupted on a Chevron-operated deepwater oil platform roughly 60 miles off the coast of Angola. The incident resulted in three fatalities and left 15 others injured. Some of the injured workers continue to receive medical care, according to Clay Neff, Chevron’s new upstream president, who addressed the workforce in a separate video message on May 30.

Neff noted that a full investigation into the fire is in progress, with more findings expected in the near future.

Angola