TotalEnergies and Chevron to Leave Critical Gas Field in Myanmar

TotalEnergies, the French oil giant, and Chevron said Friday that they would begin taking steps to withdraw from an offshore natural gas field in Myanmar that is a critical source of energy for both the host country and neighboring Thailand.

TotalEnergies said it was responding to a deterioration of the human rights situation and the “rule of law” in Myanmar since the military coup in February.

The situation had reached a point, the company said, where it could no longer “make a sufficiently positive contribution in the country.” Since the coup, the military regime has waged a brutal crackdown on protests. Soldiers and the police have killed at least 1,488 civilians, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Chevron and TotalEnergies argued in the past that their presence was beneficial to the people of Myanmar and that shutting off the flow of gas would…