Industry responds: Hurricane Harvey relief

In the days that followed Hurricane Harvey, the energy industry stepped up to support recovery and rebuild efforts and, most importantly, the communities and people involved.

• Anadarko contributed $1 million to the United Way Relief Fund. Additionally, DJ Basin Vice President of Operations Craig Walters and Business Advisor Mark Koehn manned Red Cross phones for a telethon.
• Apache Corp. donated $250,000 to the Red Cross.
• BASF Corp. donated $500,000 to local nonprofit organizations assisting in the relief and rebuilding efforts. It also established a relief fund for BASF colleagues to make charitable contributions that will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the company up to an additional $500,000.

"We stand together with the people of Texas as they recover and rebuild," said Wayne T. Smith, chairman and CEO, BASF.

• BP and the BP Foundation donated $750,000 to help provide flood victims with food, water, health services and shelter. It was divided equally among the Red Cross, Community Foundation of Greater Houston and United Way of Greater Houston.

The BP Foundation also will match dollar- for-dollar donations company employees make to these organizations or a local disaster relief organization of their choice to support relief efforts.

• Cheniere Energy donated $1 million to the Red Cross to help with relief and recovery efforts following the storm.

"Moving forward, Cheniere will focus on helping our hometown of Houston recover and the communities around Corpus Christi rebuild," said Jack Fusco, president and CEO, Cheniere.

• Chevron Corp. made a $1 million contribution to the Red Cross. In addition, the company will match donations made to the relief efforts by its employees and retirees.

"We will continue to work with responding organizations to support ongoing recovery efforts," said Jeff Shellebarger, president, Chevron North America Exploration and Production Co.

• Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LLC contributed $1 million. The company will provide a $500,000 grant to the United Way to support relief efforts across greater Houston as well as Brazoria, Orange and Jefferson counties. In addition, the company intends to establish a $250,000 matching gift program in conjunction with the United Way so individual employee donations can be multiplied by company resources.

"We plan to work hand-in-hand with local officials and the community to persevere through this tragic event together and assist with ongoing relief efforts," said Mark Lashier, president and CEO, Chevron Phillips Chemical.

• CITGO Petroleum Corp. donated $3 million to the City of Houston's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to assist local authorities in providing services. The donation will ensure local first response teams can continue their relief efforts, provide basic necessities such as food and water to flood victims, and address other immediate needs. Additionally, CITGO will donate a percentage of fuel sales toward housing rebuilding efforts in the most disadvantaged communities affected. Details of this program are being developed and will be made public once finalized.
• ConocoPhillips donated $2.5 million each to the Red Cross and the United Way of Greater Houston. Additionally, ConocoPhillips supported employee outreach efforts, including matching employees' and retirees' personal donations to eligible relief organizations.

"We stand ready and willing to do our part. We encourage others to follow," said Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO.

• Covestro LLC donated $100,000 to the Red Cross. Additionally, Covestro is working with the Red Cross to set up a donation portal where individual employee contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Covestro.
• The Dow Chemical Company and The Dow Chemical Company Foundation has allocated $1 million to support immediate relief and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. Dow is also matching employee and retiree donations up to $100,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Dow will continue to engage community partners to assess and respond to community needs not currently identified across the region through a financial commitment of $500,000, as well as in-kind and volunteer support.

• Enbridge donated $225,000, including $100,000 to the Red Cross of Greater Houston, $25,000 to the Red Cross of Coastal Bend -- Texas Chapter and $100,000 to the United Way Relief Fund. Additionally, Enbridge committed to matching up to $2,500 per person in donations made by employees.
• Exelon Corp. and Constellation together donated $150,000 to the Red Cross. Constellation Field, a minor league baseball stadium in Sugarland, Texas, was temporarily opened as a shelter and later used as a Red Cross training center. Company volunteers also plan to use the field as a staging area to assist with cleanup efforts in the weeks to come.

The company also expects to provide additional financial support through the Exelon Foundation Matching Gifts program as employees make personal donations. Employee gifts are matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000 per individual.

• Exxon Mobil Corp. has committed up to $9.5 million, which includes an employee and retiree donation match program and in-kind donations to the Red Cross for recovery efforts in South Texas.

"We will continue to assess needs and to assist government authorities and disaster relief agencies in providing critical goods and services to those in need," said Darren W. Woods, chairman and CEO, ExxonMobil.

• Hess Corp. donated $1 million. In addition, it will match every donation employees make to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, Red Cross and United Way of Houston.
• Huntsman Corp. entities have contributed over $10 million. Contributions are expected to continue throughout the coming months.
• LyondellBasell donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region. It also donated more than $15,000 worth of food to Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana to support disaster relief efforts in Lake Charles neighborhoods.
• Motiva pledged $500,000. In addition, the company will match employee contributions as part of the company's internal-giving programs. Funds will be distributed to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, the Red Cross and other organizations to assist with disaster recovery efforts in both the Houston and Port Arthur, Texas, communities.
• Noble Energy committed $1 million, which included donations of $500,000 each to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Red Cross. Noble Energy also increased funding for its NobleACTS Global Matching Gifts Program to provide immediate and long-term support for impacted communities. In addition to the financial match, eligible employee volunteer hours will result in additional contributions by the company under the program.
• NRG Energy and Reliant provided more than $2 million of disaster relief resources, comprising $1 million in cash donations, as well as in-kind relief efforts valued at more than $1 million in community support and customer assistance. The funding goes toward charitable contributions including a relief fund for impacted employees, deploying disaster-response power generation solutions to assist first responders, providing Houstonians with backup power and phone chargers, and offering enrollment and billing assistance to impacted customers.
• Phillips 66 contributed $4 million to be shared by the Rebuild Texas Fund, United Way of Greater Houston and the Red Cross.
• Range Resources donated $100,000 to the Red Cross.
• SABIC donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region.
• The Sempra Energy Foundation contributed $75,000 each to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund and nonprofit Americares. The foundation will also match up to $50,000 in employee donations.
• Shell made an initial contribution of $1 million to the Red Cross. As recovery and relief efforts evolve, Shell will consider where else to offer assistance.
• The Southern Company Charitable Foundation gave $100,000 to the Red Cross. The company will also match employee and retiree donations.
• Total donated $250,000 to the Red Cross.
• Valero Energy contributed $1 million to the Red Cross.

"Our post-hurricane relief team has been out assisting employees and neighbors alike, providing needed food, water, supplies, equipment and even labor to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts. This will continue," said Joe Gorder, chairman, president and CEO, Valero.

• Westlake Chemical Corp. and its management donated $500,000 to the Red Cross.
• Williams contributed $500,000 to the United Way of Greater Houston's flood relief fund. It will continue to monitor needs to determine other ways to assist throughout the Gulf Coast region.

*The information contained was available at press time. It is not a complete list. Look for additional coverage of industry's relief efforts in the November issue of BIC Magazine.

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