Caltex to Chevron: Unveiling a new corporate identity

According to industry experts and results of the 2-D seismic surveys conducted in the area, offshore oil and gas exploration in the Mannar Basin should turn out to be lucrative. Officials at the Ministry of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources as well as D. Neil De Silva, Director General of the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat have all expressed confidence in the area’s oil rich potential.

Chevron Sri Lanka, formerly known as Caltex Sri Lanka, has expressed an interest in the exploration of oil and gas in the Mannar Basin.

United States Ambassador Robert Blake, Chief Guest at a ceremony to unveil the new corporate identity of the company, spoke of the Offshore Technology Conference he attended two weeks ago with Chevron Managing Director and CEO, Kishu Gomes in Houston Texas where Sri Lanka invited the world's energy companies to bid for the rights to explore offshore oil and gas in the Mannar Basin.

At the conference, Blake informed oil executives of the strong relationship between Sri Lanka and the United States and urged them to take a 'serious look at these offshore prospects.' According to Blake, should Chevron pursue offshore exploration, its ingenuity and homegrown experience in the country would serve Sri Lanka well.

According to industry experts and results of the 2-D seismic surveys conducted in the area, offshore oil and gas exploration in the Mannar Basin should turn out to be lucrative. Officials at the Ministry of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources as well as Dr. Neil De Silva, Director General of the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat have all expressed confidence in the area’s oil rich presence.

At the unveiling of the new brand logo, Gomes said the change made the company a fully integrated global energy company.
Chevron, which mainly deals in oil exploration, chemical manufacturing, refining, and power generation with operations in 180 countries around the world, is seeking to strengthen its global identity which will bring about superior value to stockholders, partners, customers and employees.

Described as a leader in oil exploration around the world, Chevron is consistently working towards increasing efficient production and will spend approximately US$3.5 billion over the next several years on developing future energy resources.

After 13 years in Sri Lanka which has delivered an industry leading performance exceeding expectations, Gomes said this leading blue chip company is committed to exploring opportunities with a dedication to excellence.

Its business is always conducted with an eye towards social responsibility and high ethical standards which they have always abided by in Sri Lanka. "Renaming the local company will give it a truly global identity," Gomes told the gathering. "We have common values and a shared belief in the power of human energy."

Gomes said the way they do business today will remain unchanged but the brand will be made more meaningful to customers. "We will continue to explore new opportunities, not limiting ourselves to past strategies." Chevron is aiming not only to exceed its own expectations but also that of others.

US ambassador Blake said Sri Lanka is not losing a great American brand but is gaining an even better one. The core values that Chevron upholds called the 'The Chevron Way' are diversity, ingenuity and high performance which are all core values of the United States in creating a healthy and prosperous business and work environment.

Blake said an excellent example of why Chevron benefits from diversity is Kishu Gomes' seven years of successful leadership at the helm of the company. Chevron realized that smart local managers were best suited to run operations in the country. "Kishu knows the local market and is in touch with the needs of his local employees," he said.

In terms of high performance, Blake said the company was the first to return in assets, profit per employee and turnover per employee. After the 2004 tsunami, Caltex fully repaired the homes of all its employees who were affected by the natural disaster.

These are high performing achievements and as a leader in the private sector, it is bringing the United States and Sri Lanka closer together. "I hope the best is yet to come," Blake concluded.