Calfrac joins trend to variable worker pay

Employees at Calfrac Well Services Ltd. are being forced to give up pay certainty as low commodity prices hammer the providers of well fracking services credited with creating the current North American oil and gas glut.

In a news release Thursday, the company confirmed that it has joined rivals who have abandoned the previous industry norm of paying a regular salary and moved to “variable pay” for its Canadian fracturing and coiled tubing field employees.

That means staff are paid only when they and their gear are working. Calfrac also said it has adjusted work schedules to save money.

Calgary-based Canyon Services Group Inc. broke with the tradition last year, increasing the number of its staff receiving variable pay to 74 per cent from just 10 per cent.

The largest Canadian provider of so-called pressure pumping services, Trican Well Service Ltd., confirmed in early April that its field staff will go to variable pay on June 1.

On Thursday, Calfrac reported first-quarter revenue of $216 million, down 64 per cent from the same period last year. It posted an operating loss of $11.6 million compared with a gain of $27.8 million in first quarter 2015.

“While this downturn has, perhaps, lasted longer than expected, there are many reasons ... which lead me to believe that the market will improve in the coming 12 to 18 months,” Calfrac chief executive Fernando Aguilar said on a morning call, adding that low demand has prompted predatory pricing by some competitors.

He said variable pay will help Calfrac offset anticipated secondquarter losses due to lower demand in Canada.

Mark Salkeld, president of the Petroleum Services Alliance of Canada, said his members want to both survive and retain key employees.

“They call that the mercenary style — just pay them when you need them,” he said.

“There are companies out there that have no debt and they’re burning up cash keeping their payrolls full ... so that when it does turn around, they’ve got the people. So there’s a whole blend of strategies.”

In March, Calfrac laid off 500 people for total staff cuts of 2,300 since early 2015, leaving it with 1,200 employees in its Canadian, U.S. and international operations.

In a note to investors, analyst Andrew Bradford of Raymond James said Calfrac’s adjusted earnings fell $4 million due to restructuring charges, but he praised the company for trying to get a handle on its net debt of $808 million.