Houma-based Blake International Rigs LLC began to lay off 105 workers on June 3 due to the economic downturn in the oil and gas industry in Louisiana, especially offshore from the Gulf Coast.
The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter with the Louisiana Workforce Commission in late May, which was publicly disclosed on Wednesday.
"Due to the drastic and unexpected downturn in the oil and gas industry, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, Blake has determined that there is an excess number of employees within its organization," Beau Blake, chief executive officer of Blake International Rigs, said in the letter.
The decision to permanently lay off workers substantially reduces the company's footprint: 95 jobs are offshore employees, five work in the yard and five in the office. The company doesn't expect to offer severance packages to every employee, according to the letter.
Blake International Rigs did not respond to requests for comment.
It was not immediately clear how many workers Blake International Rigs has overall in Louisiana, but the company has more than 100 workers, according to its LinkedIn profile.
Other recent layoffs in the oil and gas sector include 350 workers in three pipe fabrication facilities in Port Allen run by Turner Industries, based in Baton Rouge; ASRC Energy Services Omega in New Iberia closing its facility and laying off 180 workers starting in early June through August; and Cactus Wellhead LLC, an oilfield services business in Bossier City, began laying off 42 workers on April 1.
Halliburton permanently laid off 36 workers at its Broussard facility on April 14 is closing the office there, according to its letter sent to LWC.
Also, Ensco Offshore Co., which recently changed its name to Valaris, is laying off an undisclosed number of workers at its Broussard office, who are assigned to work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
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