More oil jobs are leaving Medicine Hat, as Schlumberger has announced it is suspending its operations in the Gas City. It becomes the fourth major oil company to leave the city since April 2014, joining others like Sanjel, Weatherford Wireline and Baker Hughes. Mayor Ted Clugston estimates it has cost the city around 1,000 jobs.
“Yeah, we don’t know the exact job losses, but it’s probably around a thousand. It hurts.”
It is not known exactly how many job are affected at Schlumberger. Company officials in Medicine Hat refused comment, but Communications Coordinator Blake Herbert released a statement from Sugar Land, Texas that reads, in part: “Operations will be suspended from the Medicine Hat Well Production Services Base. However, a reduced support staff will continue to operate out of this facility. The decision to suspend operations at this location was difficult given our long-standing presence in the Medicine Hat community.”
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Even with the exodus of oil jobs, the Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce believes there are still many economic opportunities in the area – but more initiative must be shown at City Hall.
“There’s definitely things we can do, the city in particular,” said Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce President, Khrista Vogt. “Just with developing a strong comprehensive economic development policy.”
The economic impact of the most recent layoffs won’t be known for some time. Like everyone else, the Mayor is forced to sit and watch as oil prices continue to fall.
“These were high paying jobs, there’s a ripple effect. I’m not sure exactly how far and wide spread it will be, it probably depends on how long the price stays low.”
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