Chevron announces it’s ditching California and moving headquarters to Houston

Chevron Corporation announced Friday it’s relocating its headquarters from San Ramon, California, to Houston.

The company expects all corporate functions to migrate to Houston over the next five years. Senior leaders, including Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth and Vice-Chairman Mark Nelson, will move to Houston before the end of 2024, but the company said the decision won’t impact other employees currently based in San Ramon. 

“Friday’s announcement seems symbolic of the diminishing presence of both Chevron and the oil industry itself in California. As state leaders have moved to force a transition away from oil and its related products, the state’s once-thriving industry has gradually declined in significance,” energy analyst David Blackmon said of the move on his “Energy Absurdities” Substack. 

Roughly 7,000 Chevron employees are in the Houston area and about 2,000 employees in San Ramon, according to the company’s announcement.

The company operates crude oil fields, technical facilities, and two refineries and supplies more than 1,800 retail stations in California.