ConocoPhillips plans to move jobs to Bartlesville

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (AP) _ Oil company ConocoPhillips expects to move about 250 jobs to its Global Support Services Center here in 2007, the company's CEO said. <br/><br/>Jim Mulva said Friday at a

Saturday, May 13th 2006, 11:35 am

By: News On 6

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (AP) _ Oil company ConocoPhillips expects to move about 250 jobs to its Global Support Services Center here in 2007, the company's CEO said.

Jim Mulva said Friday at a Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce forum that the company, which now employs 2,400 in the city, will be moving additional positions into town from a Fort Worth services center that is part of its recent Burlington Resources acquisition.

ConocoPhillips officials estimate that half of the Texas center's 500 jobs will come to Bartlesville.

The company acquired Houston-based Burlington, an oil and natural gas producer, in a $35.6 billion deal that was the largest in the industry since 2001.

``Bartlesville is the global support center for our company,'' Mulva said. ``We are seeing more and more opportunities taking place where we see more growth to support what we are doing around the world.

``Bartlesville continues to be so significant to our operations.''

ConocoPhillips has 38,000 employees in 45 countries.

The expansion of the company's Bartlesville operations began this year with the relocation of 500 jobs that are in the process of moving there from other parts of the country.

About 100 of the new employees have moved to Bartlesville so far, with 60 others scheduled to arrive in May and about 80 more relocating in June, Mulva said.

The company head, who spent 23 years living in this northeast Oklahoma city, expressed appreciation to Bartlesville's community leadership for working hard to provide the housing, retail, medical and educational support needed for the new employees who are coming to town.

Phillips Petroleum was founded and based in Bartlesville until 2002, when the company merged with Conoco Inc. and moved its headquarters to Houston.

In addition to its full-time staff, ConocoPhillips also has an additional 1,000 contract positions in Bartlesville.