Energy services firm grows through deal
Bison Oilfield Services took another step this week to grow the services it offers to oil and gas operators throughout Oklahoma, it announced on Thursday.
The company stated it had closed on a deal for an undisclosed amount to acquire S&S Star Water Solutions, a water infrastructure firm operating in the state’s SCOOP, STACK and Merge plays.
Officials said Ryan Surroz, S&S’s president, will continue on with Bison as president of its water infrastructure division, and that they anticipated current S&S employees would continue working for the combined firm.
In addition to the water infrastructure division, Bison and its affiliates offer a wide range of upstream and midstream services, including trucking and logistics, environmental services, pipeline construction, midstream manufacturing and fabrication, fishing and rental tools and other energy infrastructure services.
“This transaction marks a significant milestone for Bison, a company we started only three years ago,” North Whipple, Bison’s CEO, said as part of a news release announcing the acquisition.
“The recent downturn has presented many challenges for our industry, but as other service companies downsized, restructured or relocated assets to Texas, Bison went all in on Oklahoma.”
Whipple noted the combined company is the state’s largest privately held energy services firm with more than 1,500 employees working out of 17 yards.
He said the company operates 300 transport trucks, 25 commercial disposal facilities and an integrated network of water gathering infrastructure inside of every major oil and natural gas play in Oklahoma, including the Arkoma basin.
Surroz, meanwhile, stated his team had built the largest integrated commercial water infrastructure asset in the SCOOP, STACK and Merge in just two years of time.
“I am truly proud of what we’ve accomplished . ... Now we are excited to join with the Bison team to accelerate our growth across the state, which will allow us to deliver even greater value to our customers,” Surroz said.
Whipple, agreed, adding, “acquiring S&S was a logical next step” to help Bison grow.
“On a combined basis, Bison is now the Number One provider of water hauling, gathering, disposal and infrastructure services in Oklahoma,” Whipple said. “We believe a consolidated platform is an essential evolution for any service company seeking to stay relevant in this rapidly changing environment” where operators test the limits of large-scale pad drilling, longer laterals and upsized completions.
Whipple said the firm looks forward to the future because it’s confident the competitive advantages it brings will enable its customers to operate more profitably.
“This is a very exciting time in Oklahoma’s oil and gas history, and we are proud to play a role in supporting our state’s most vital industry,” he said.