Oil giant BP is laying off around 4,700 employees, more than 5% of its workforce, as part of its cost-cutting plans.
The British company, which has a global workforce of around 90,000 people, confirmed the job losses on Thursday but did not say how many positions would be affected in each country where it operates.
An email to staff also confirmed that around 3,000 contractor jobs will be cut this year.
BP employs around 14,000 people in the UK, around 6,000 of whom work at petrol and service stations, and will not be affected by the cuts.
Chief executive Murray Auchincloss, who announced his intentions to streamline the business last year, is said to have set a cost-cutting target of $2bn (£1.6bn) by the end of 2026, of which $500m is to be saved this year.
In an email to staff, he said: “We still have work to do through this year, next year and beyond, but we are making strong progress as we position BP to grow as a simpler, more focused, higher value company.”
The boss added that he recognizes “the uncertainty this brings for anyone whose job may be at risk, as well as the effect it can have on colleagues and teams”.
The job cuts come as the energy giant tries to bring more digital capabilities to the business, with artificial intelligence playing an increasing role in engineering and marketing operations.
An email from Mr Auchincloss said around 2,600 contractors affected by the cuts had already left their jobs.
