Rowan to Lay Off 150 Offshore Workers

Rowan to Lay Off 150 Offshore Workers
Rowan Companies will reduce its workforce after a contract on one of its drilling rigs is terminated.

Rowan Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of UK-based offshore drilling contractor Rowan Companies, plc, will lay off up to 150 of its workforce, according to a WARN notice sent to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Affected employees work onboard the Rowan Reliance (UDW drillship) which is currently contracted by Cobalt International Energy on North Platte in the Gulf of Mexico near Morgan City, Louisiana. The employees will be let go due to the termination of the drilling contact by the customer, the notice states. The rig is managed from a Houston office.

Layoffs are expected to begin July 21 and end 14 days after that date.

“Rowan plans to retain certain employees to maintain the rig while it is idle. Although that it is possible certain employees will be reemployed should the rig secure a new drilling contract, the layoffs are expected to be permanent and there are no bumping rights,” the notice states.

According to an April 19 fleet status report on Rowan’s website, the company has four UDW drillships operating in the Gulf of Mexico (this includes the Rowan Reliance).



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Paul Smith  |  June 02, 2017
OPEC countries have agreed on production cuts (and extended the cuts), to keep the price up. The price keeps dropping! Offshore oil is way too expensive. Plus Trump wants to open Federal lands to more drilling, so we will produce more oil, dropping the price even further. Permian Basin and Ford seem to be the only viable sources for oil.


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