Hundreds of Texas Oil and Gas Workers to Lose Jobs in New Year

Hundreds of Texas Oil and Gas Workers to Lose Jobs in New Year
Layoffs are on the horizon for hundreds of oil and gas workers in Texas.

A few hundred oil and gas workers will find themselves without jobs near the start of the New Year.

In recent months, Pioneer Natural Resources, Covia, Petrobras and Siemens have all announced staff reductions at Texas facilities. Details surrounding the job cuts, sent to the Texas Workforce Commission, are below.

  • Pioneer Sands LLC, acquired by Pioneer Natural Resources in 2012, will shut down operations at its plant in Brady, Texas, which currently employs 219 employees. Employment separations will occur in phases beginning Jan. 14, 2019 through the end of 2019.
  • Covia Holdings Corp. is ceasing operations at its Voca, Texas, facility Jan. 31, 2019. A total of 93 employees will be affected. The company said a small number of employees may be retained beyond Jan. 31 to wind down operations, though all employees are expected to be terminated within 90 days following the closure date, except for one employee who has been reassigned.
  • Petrobras America Inc. is downsizing its facility in Houston, Texas, beginning Feb. 28, 2019 as a direct result of the company selling all of its assets in the Gulf of Mexico. Layoffs of more than 50 employees (more than 33 percent of the company’s workforce) will occur from Feb. 28 through Oct. 31, 2019.
  • Siemens is closing its Houston Service Center and will transfer all manufacturing activities to other Siemens facilities due to market conditions and network overcapacity. This will result in the elimination of 17 positions Jan. 13, 2019.   


WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

Ekpo  |  December 15, 2018
Real! What happens to other opec countries?
Friday Ekpo  |  December 15, 2018
If this prediction on Texas is real, what happens to other opec countries? I think it is high time the industry experts come together to propound solution for the industry. If it is to move away completely from crude then it should be defined. Heart felt.
TC  |  December 15, 2018
The sand plant closures are due to new plants opening in the Permian Basin . It's cheaper to buy here than haul from Brady.
Another Troy  |  December 14, 2018
Good thang Apple is investing a billion dollars in Texas. They will be needing all the folks that are being laid off. Probably get a pay raise to boot. Nice!!!
TROY  |  December 14, 2018
Majority of these layoffs appear to be a result of M&A, consolidations, and re purposing of assets, not supply/demand side economics. There is a significant amount of investment in pipeline right now. The US also just shipped it's first taker of LNG with many more to follow I am sure.
Clayton  |  December 14, 2018
I’m putting in 100+ hours a week in the Permian Basin. I don’t see my job going anywhere.
Moross Adegbite  |  December 13, 2018
All of the lay offs above are coming from Texas and I wonder if the States' policy is one underlining factor responsible for closing down and selling of assets?
Annonymoose  |  December 12, 2018
US is now a net exporter, first time in over 75 years. US Frack / shale production created the oil glut that precipitated the 2014/15 downturn. US Frack / shale has ramped back up since the price has stabilised, albeit dropped back, and has driven the price down again. US is the bully in the playground; How? demanding that OPEC continues production levels, to keep the price low, because that suits the US. US has upset global energy economy and stability by seeking to be the big dog.
Ray Johannson  |  December 12, 2018
Alberta Canada is also in a tough spot governments not allowing pipelines to get our oil to market has Alberta pretty much land locked. Thousands of jobs being cut business closing doesn’t look good. Feels like 2015 has never gone away
Maha  |  December 12, 2018
Oil company employees across the world are facing this job uncertainty essentially due to the price drastically getting reduced considerably making it difficult for companies to sustain. As a result, people who have put in considerable time and Energy for years are being laid off ( mostly in the higher salary slot) and un their place, temporary workers are being hired. Some companies who can not sustain are selling off their assets ,resulting in the entire staff being terminated. The environmentalists are the route cause for some of the expansion essentislly pipelines being stopped, although they do not have any viable alternates to oil and gas at the moment. The government will have to step in to resolve the issue and find a practical solution to the unwelcome lay offs. They also need to think ahead ,plan for the future of the oil and gas workers,when we are about to move to alternate options which are more environmentally friendly.
Jonathan Vides  |  December 12, 2018
Sad way to start off the new year.
Louise Welch  |  December 12, 2018
Most of the sand jobs shutting down in Brady and Voca, have moved to the Permian Basin. Just need to move West. Short on employees there.
Matt  |  December 12, 2018
The top two are sand manufacturing facilities. Too much competition and overcapacity in the frac sand market or less wellls being drilled and fracked in 2019+?


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