Sandridge Reacts to 60-Employee Layoff

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Two energy companies operating in Oklahoma say they are laying off employees.

Oklahoma City-based SandRidge Energy says it laid off 60 employees, or 12 percent of its corporate work force this week.

Chairman and CEO Tom Ward issued the following statement:

"Management proactively made staff reductions this week in order to better align our corporate staff in relation to current business activities. Al thought we don't' want to minimize the impact this has on the employees that were involved, we believe these changes are in the best interest of the company and our shareholders."

A spokeswoman for Houston-based Halliburton confirmed the company laid off an unspecified number of workers this week at its offices in Duncan, where the company was founded. She wouldn't say how many were affected.

Duncan Chamber of Commerce President Debra Burch says that Halliburton told local officials last June that the company had about 2,600 employees in the Stephens County town.

Spokesmen for Devon Energy Corp. and Chesapeake Energy Corp., both based in Oklahoma City, said today neither has plans to cut jobs.