Spanish oil and gas company Repsol has confirmed that an employee at the company’s commercial delegation in Andalucia has been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19).
"The employee began to display symptoms over the weekend and did not go to work on Monday. The person is hospitalized, and their condition is not deemed serious," Repsol said Thursday.
The company said tracking the case through its medical services in accordance with the established protocols and in coordination with public health authorities.
"Last week, the company activated a global contingency plan in all its installations to ensure the normal functioning of the operations and, at the same time, minimize the risks of contagion and spread of infectious diseases. The health and well-being of our employees are a priority and the necessary measures are being taken to protect them," Repsol said.
"The company continues to monitor and coordinate all action related to this outbreak through its COVID-19 Monitoring Coordination Committee, comprising representatives from all areas of the company. The company wishes the employee a speedy recovery," the company said.
Elsewhere in the oil and gas sector, Norway's Equinor earlier this week confirmed a coronavirus case aboard its offshore installation in Norway.
Equinor said Thursday it was cutting non-critical offshore activity to reduce the risk for its workers, "but production goes as normal."
In the UK, Oil and Gas UK on Thursday banned people from traveling to offshore installations such as platforms if they have traveled to certain countries affected by the coronavirus in the previous 14 days.
Oil companies such as Husky Energy, Murphy Oil, and Apache have slashed capex for 2020 citing the effects of the virus on oil prices.
On Friday morning, Bahamas Petroleum said it would delay its offshore drilling plans in the Bahamas, citing the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the global supply chain.
Related:
Offshore Safety Must Not Be Compromised by Coronavirus, Safety Body Says