Baker Hughes To Expand Claremore Facility, Add Jobs

Oklahoma's economy is getting a jolt from an oilfield services company. Baker Hughes announced it is investing $36-million into a new research and development building in Claremore.

Tuesday, Governor Mary Fallin toured the current facility and saw firsthand the plans for the expansion, which means top jobs for the Sooner State.

It's full steam ahead for an oil services company's growth in Claremore. A year after Baker Hughes announced it would be adding more than six-hundred jobs, the company unveiled plans to expand its facilities.

12/22/2010 Related Story: Baker Hughes To Add 667 Jobs In Green Country

"It's really a long term investment. We're looking at developing technologies for the next 10-20 years," said Luis Moncada, Vice President of Baker Hughes.

In the current facility, employees man machines that make an artificial lift, which literally helps lift oil and gas to the surface.

"This Oklahoma division is working all over the world in producing oil and gas. It's really remarkable the skill sets and the knowledge and the research and development that's being done right here in Claremore Oklahoma," Governor Fallin

The Governor says the state has worked hard to produce a reliable business climate. She says when companies like Baker Hughes invest; it sends a strong message to other corporations.

"This is a good community to invest, operate a type of workforce that you need for your operation. It's good for Claremore and certainly complimentary of Claremore and a compliment to the employees that work here.

"Our people are from this area. We have children here, grandchildren here. We want to be proud of the company they work for," said Chad Deaton, Executive Chair of Baker Hughes.

Construction will start in the coming months. The new building will provide for the testing and development of the artificial lifts.

Baker Hughes expects it to be complete by 2013.