Murphy Oil Corporation announced Thursday that its president and chief executive officer has, pending test results, a presumptive diagnosis of Covid-19.

Murphy Oil Corporation announced Thursday that its president and chief executive officer, Roger W. Jenkins, has, pending test results, a presumptive diagnosis of Covid-19.

Jenkins, who has taken a temporary medical leave, is expected to completely recover, according to Murphy. In the interim, David R. Looney, the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, will be assuming Jenkins’ responsibilities as president and CEO, Murphy noted.

The Murphy president and CEO is not the first oil and gas professional to be linked with the virus. On Monday, TAQA confirmed to Rigzone that several crew members at its North Sea Cormorant Alpha and North Cormorant platforms were being flown onshore after experiencing mild symptoms. Earlier in March, one Equinor worker and one Shell worker tested positive for the virus.

Jenkins joined Murphy in 2001 as a drilling manager in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was elected president and CEO in 2013. Looney joined Murphy in 2018 following a range of leadership roles at offshore deepwater Gulf of Mexico and U.S. onshore unconventional exploration and production companies.

Murphy is an independent exploration and production company with a balanced portfolio of global offshore and onshore assets, according to its website. The business – which is present Mexico, Brazil Australia, Vietnam, Brunei, Canada and the United States - is headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas.

Earlier this month, Murphy announced that it had revised its capital spending plans for 2020 “given current market conditions and recent commodity price volatility”. The company cut its 2020 budget by around $500 million to approximately $950 million.

As of March 26, the U.S. has recorded 63,570 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 884 deaths, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO). As of Thursday, there have been 462,684 confirmed cases of the virus globally, with 20,834 deaths, WHO data shows.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com