Baker Hughes to close some operations in OKC

Some Oklahoma City employees will lose their jobs and others will be transferred to Claremore or other offices as the new Baker Hughes, a GE company, consolidates its workforce, the company said Thursday.

The company did not say how many jobs will be affected by the closing of a production facility at its south Oklahoma City artificial lift systems operation.

“These decisions are never easy because it affects our colleagues and friends, and it is in no way a reflection of the caliber of our workforce,” the company said in a statement. “Roughly half of the impacted employees will be invited to continue working at other nearby BHGE (Baker Hughes GE) sites, while all others will be able to apply for other job openings within BHGE.”

Baker Hughes and GE’s oil and gas business merged in July 2017.

“This decision comes after an in-depth evaluation of how to best optimize our portfolio as part of our synergy and integration process,” the company said in Thursday’s statement. “As a result, we’ve had to rationalize two overlapping leading product lines to maintain our market leadership and best support the future growth of our artificial lift systems business.

“This move is part of our long-term strategy to streamline our business and expand our services capability to become even more responsive and competitive on behalf of our customers.”

The new company includes GE’s Oklahoma City Oil and Gas Technology Center, along with Baker Hughes operations in both Oklahoma City and Claremore.

Baker Hughes has its Motors Center of Excellence in Oklahoma City, which opened earlier this year and is expected to be fully operational in early 2018. Baker Hughes also operates an Artificial Lift Research and Technology Center in Claremore.

GE and Baker Hughes executives have

promoted the new company as “fullstream,” meaning it provides upstream, midstream and downstream oil and natural gas offerings.

“Artificial lift systems is part of our fullstream integrated offering

that our customers value,” the company said Thursday. “This is a product line that we’re confident will grow in the future and deliver for our customers. BHGE is committed to continuing to offer the highest quality, costeffective products and services in support of our customer’s growth and profitability.”