Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) has increased its financial commitment for Harvey relief to up to $9.5 million.
The pledge includes a new employee and retiree donation match program and in-kind donations to the American Red Cross for recovery efforts in South Texas.
The increased support builds on $1 million in previous contributions to the American Red Cross and United Way of Greater Houston.
Meanwhile the company is working to limit the disruption of fuel supplies in the region caused by shutdowns of refining and transportation infrastructure due to weather and flooding.
Efforts are underway to transport refined products from unaffected regions to communities and customers in the most severely impacted markets.
The company is working to reestablish normal operations and replenish fuel supplies as safely and quickly as possible.
In the meantime, consumers are encouraged to be conservative with fuel use to help preserve supplies for first responders and other critical users.
“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with our colleagues, families, friends and neighbors in communities suffering from the storm’s effects,” said Darren W. Woods, chairman and chief executive officer.
“Our primary focus remains the safety and security of our employees, facilities and neighbors in Houston, Beaumont and other impacted areas.”
The company is assessing its Upstream, Downstream and Chemical facilities located along the Texas Gulf Coast.
“We are continuously monitoring the status and effects of the storm and will determine when we can begin to restore our refining, chemical and oil production to pre-storm capacity safely,” Woods said.
“We understand the impacts reduced production is generally having across the region, and we’re working as hard as possible to bring our facilities back online quickly and safely.”
Impact assessments are underway at ExxonMobil’s Baytown complex, which has safely shut down the majority of its operations. There have been no reports of oil or gasoline leakage from the complex. The nearby Mont Belvieu plastics plant is also shut down.
The company’s Beaumont refinery and chemical plants have completed safe and systematic shut down of their operations.
ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge, La., refining and chemical facilities are operating as normal.
The company is actively monitoring emissions as a result of the storm and remains in close contact with neighboring communities regarding safety and environmental issues.
ExxonMobil’s Hoover and Galveston 209 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico remain shut in, and crews are in the process of assessing those operations. Systems are safe and operational at the Hadrian South subsea production system in the Gulf, and production startup operations are underway.
ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO Energy previously shut in production that was in the direct line of the storm. Crews have been assessing impacts to those operations and are beginning to resume production.