Schlumberger commemorated the opening of a new 53,000-sq. ft. building at its Global Drilling Technology Center located in Stonehouse, Stroud District, Gloucestershire, U.K. The ribbon-cutting event, celebrating the expansion of the facility and the addition of 100 jobs over the past two years, was held on November 11, 2005.
“We congratulate our neighbors Schlumberger and we are honored to have their prestigious Global Drilling Technology Center in our midst,” said Mrs. Sylvie Bruce, Stroud District Council Chair. “Schlumberger’s presence in our community has provided professional, technical and support services jobs. Their continued development and expansion of this facility have provided opportunity for construction and trades people as well. We wish Schlumberger continued success and we are delighted to participate in today’s festivities.”
The new center is responsible for the manufacturing and assembly of all Schlumberger drilling tools used worldwide. The new building houses the center’s, product development engineering, commercial product support, manufacturing and management teams. In Stonehouse, new advanced drilling system prototypes for use in oil exploration and production drilling are taken from the drawing board and built into functional tools for field testing.
“I’m pleased to be a part of Schlumberger’s strategic vision to bring together in one place the best and brightest minds to improve the process of drilling for hydrocarbons around the world,” said Derek Normore, manager, Schlumberger Stonehouse Technology Center. “Since the designation of the center in 2003, we have tripled the number of employees from 90 to 270 as well as the facility size. These achievements are a testament to Schlumberger’s commitment to be a leader in solving the world’s energy problems, and our commitment to this facility and this community.”
The Schlumberger site in Stonehouse was established in 1999. In 2003, the location was designated the Global Drilling Technology Center, Schlumberger’s base for research and development for products and services for drilling of oil and gas worldwide. The center was created to provide a location for Schlumberger, often in collaboration with their clients, to rapidly develop and deploy products and services to more effectively and efficiently drill for hydrocarbons to meet the ever-increasing world demand for energy.