The planned cuts are part of a bid to reduce operating costs by 20 percent this year.
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Maersk Oil also announced that in the United States and Angola, it will cut 60 job positions, linked to delays in the company’s project in the deepwater field in Chissonga, Angola.
The cuts would see between 10% and 12% of jobs go at its business units in Qatar and Norway and slightly lower losses at its operations in Denmark and Kazakhstan and its Copenhagen headquarters.
Maersk said the low price of crude oil has brought in profound and material changes to the upstream, or exploration and production, side of the energy sector.
The decision will see a reduction in the number of employee and contractor roles in the company’s various business locations in addition to its headquarters. Both those rounds of cuts are included in Monday’s announcement, Maersk said.
He added: “We are operating in a materially changed oil price environment and have taken necessary decisions to reduce activity levels through 2015, and ensure we focus where we can see adequate returns from our most robust projects”.
Janice produces around 7,000 barrels per day (bpd) from three North Sea oilfields.
In regard to this, Thomasen says the company has sanctioned a few of its mega projects this year.
Thomasen said the group expects downward pressure on oil price will “continue into 2016” and as a result Maersk would need to remain “cost-focused” to grow in the market. “I commend our people for the improvements in our operating performance whilst we have been managing down costs across the organization”.
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Parent company A.P. Møller-Maersk on Friday warned that a weaker market for Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company and a global trade bellwether, would weigh on annual profits.
