Chevron tells Hess staff to focus on safety as they await job updates

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Chevron leaders told Hess employees to stay focused on safe operations and that they will hear next week if they will continue to have jobs following the oil producer's acquisition, according to two Hess employees who spoke with Reuters. Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil producer, closed its $55 billion acquisition of Hess on Friday after prevailing in a landmark legal fight against Exxon Mobil that delayed the closing by over a year. The deal was critical to Chevron CEO Mike Wirth's strategy to improve the business as it sought to cut costs and faced investor concerns about future growth prospects.