Halliburton to suspend cementing operations in Alberta by Sammy Hudes, Dec 3, 2019, Calgary Herald
A multinational corporation that has operated cementing services in Alberta for close to a century plans to shut down those operations in Western Canada by the end of the month.
Halliburton, an oilfield service company headquartered in Texas, says it is suspending its cementing product service line at the conclusion of 2019.
“We made this difficult decision because we do not foresee the ability for the product line to provide a sufficient rate of return. We will continue to provide specialty cementing solutions, blends and chemical additives to our customers that require our proprietary products and processes,” the company said in an emailed statement.
“All of our other product lines that are currently working in Canada are still operating.”
Halliburton has operated its cementing division in Alberta since 1926, when founder Erle P. Halliburton sent his brothers, George and Paul, to Turner Valley to start the Oilwell Cementing Company, a spokesperson said.
It currently operates its cementing service line in Calgary, Red Deer, Whitecourt and Grande Prairie.
The company said it was “not going into specific employee information,” when asked how many workers in Alberta could be laid off.
Halliburton’s cementing operations date back to 1919, specializing in oil, gas, geothermal, offshore and hydrate wells, the company states on its website.
It has more than 105 cement laboratories throughout the world.
In a publication earlier this year celebrating its 100th anniversary, the company said it has about 1,500 employees in 30 offices across Canada.
“We’ve had to find a way to differentiate ourselves by reducing internal costs and improving efficiency. The only way we’re going to be able to win work is to be able to save our customers money,” Halliburton Canada vice-president John Gorman stated in the publication, which discusses the economic and political challenges that Halliburton faces today.
“If customers can’t reduce costs, they’re not working and neither are we. It’s been a forced new normal.”
A few of the comments:
Maureenn Ebel
I notice Halliburton is only closing their operations in Western Canada. Perhaps their problem is with war rooms and Wexiters not Trudeau.
Neil Robert
How many jobs lost since Kenney the job saviour gave these corporations their tax break? Are we up to 20,000 yet??
robert carbno
Hello Mr Kenny there goes some more jobs the tax breaks are not working can you please start working to get the people back to work now and if you want to give away money give it to the hard working Albertans not foreign corporations. 4.7 billion in tax cuts to to the people would be spent in Alberta.
Anne Bouscal
Among others, Imperial Oil ($662 million) and Suncor ($1.16 billion), applied the tax benefit to their bottom lines (2nd quarter 2019) and have continued with layoffs. Nothing to do with economics, just facts. But believe whatever you like since facts don’t seem to be pertinent in the UCP party or with its supporters.
Anne Bouscal
Halliburton– the company that made a killing in Iraq with the help of Dick Cheney. It’s a mega-multinational company with very diverse products and services. If they wanted to stay in Alberta, they could have altered their process. Nothing Jason offered gave them what they wanted which is a license to print money.
robert carbno
How can people support someone that only panders to the rich. …
Anne Bouscal
Do you really believe what you’re writing? Speaking of ego, Prince Jason doesn’t need anyone– he’s a one-man band. He’s going to do things his way until he can find something else to play at. He has been a Saskatchewan Liberal, federal NDP, Progressive Conservative, and Reform, and now he’s pretending to be an Albertan riding his truck to the rescue–remember “Get ‘er done”? Jason’s only interested in himself. [and is using ignorant Albertans as his stepping stone pathway to become King of Canada]
Steve Wilson
Samuel. Yeah no kidding. 4.6 Billion to the richest of the rich and teachers/nurses being laid off. Insurance, registration,tuition,utility bills going up and no jobs. Never was a Kenny fan.