Aug. 2 (UPI) — Chevron said Friday it will relocate the company’s headquarters from California Texas.
The oil company said its head quarters will move from San Ramon, Calif., to Houston, Texas after it had been sued by California as the state pushes aggressively to address climate change.
“Chevron Chairman and CEO, Mike Wirth, and Vice Chairman, Mark Nelson, will move to Houston before the end of 2024 to co-locate with other senior leaders and enable better collaboration and engagement with executives, employees, and business partners,” Chevron said in a statement.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X, “WELCOME HOME Chevron! Texas is your true home. Drill baby drill.”
California sued Chevron and other oil companies in 2023 for engaging in what California Attorney General Rob Bonta called “a decades-long campaign of deception and creating statewide climate change-related harms in California.”
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth charged the suit benefitted lawyers and politicians.
“Climate change is a global issue,” Mr. Wirth said during a Bloomberg interview.”It calls for a coordinated global policy response, not piecemeal litigation that benefits attorneys and politicians.”
Chevron said the relocation of its headquarters will have “minimal immeidate relation impacts to other employees based in San Ramon.”
The company said it expects “all corporate functions” to migrate to Houston over the next five years.
Chevron also announced leadership changes Friday.
Executive Vice President for Oil, Products and Gas Nigel Hearne will retire, replaced by Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson.
Rhonda Morris is retiring as vice president and chief human resources officer at Chevron. Michelle Green will succeed her.
Colin Parfitt, vice president Midstream, is also retiring. He was responsible for Chevron’s shipping, pipeline, power and energy management and supply and trading operating units.