Dozens of North Slope workers showed up Friday for what they thought was a special early-morning training session.
Instead, 75 employees of ASRC Energy Services — ranging from relatively new hands to some with more than 10 years of experience — got a quick talk explaining they were being laid off from their jobs as employees contracted to ConocoPhillips in Kuparuk, according to multiple employees in attendance.
“It lasted probably three minutes or so,” said one employee who requested anonymity for fear of losing future employment opportunities. “‘Because of the oil prices, so on and so forth, we’re letting you guys go.’ They handed out packets, had us fill out our information and told us we could pick up our tickets.
“We were all blindsided.”
Three hours after the 6:30 a.m. meeting they took off for Anchorage, employees said.
AES is the largest employer of Alaska oilfield workers with more than 2,500 employees in 2010 and also declined to comment on specific details about layoffs, instead offering a statement describing an effort to make their business model more sustainable amid low oil prices.
“Producers have invested millions of dollars on the North Slope and, in turn, AES has seen its workforce numbers grow,” spokeswoman Sheila Schooner wrote in a release. “Recent changes in our market have resulted in the company restructuring its North Slope operations to be more efficient and productive.”
ANS West Coast crude peaked at $113.17 last June and sat at $49.50 on March 13, a few dollars above the low-point hit in January.
Via ak-pipeline.com
