HOUSTON- Motiva Enterprises confirmed on Monday that company-wide job cuts to be carried out by Sept. 1 would equal about 10% of its total workforce as it contends with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reuters reported in June that the company was planning to cut up to 200 jobs, laying off about 10% of its workforce. 

Hourly operators, maintenance workers and laboratory employees at the company’s refining and chemical plant complex in Port Arthur, Texas, would not be included in the layoffs, Motiva said on Monday.

Some of the job cuts are due to a reorganization of management at the Port Arthur complex, following the purchase of the chemical plant in October, the company said in June.

“Strong financial stewardship, operational excellence, and talent management is critical to our ability to navigate the current economic downturn and thrive when the market returns,” Motiva said in the statement issued on Monday.

Motiva's 607,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur refinery is the largest in the United States.

The company is the U.S. refining and marketing arm of Saudi Aramco.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) ((erwin.seba@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8508; Reuters Messaging: erwin.seba.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))