Schlumberger sells part of North American pumping business to Liberty

Liberty Oilfield Services and Schlumberger announced an agreement for the contribution of Schlumberger’s onshore hydraulic fracturing business in the United States and Canada (OneStim),to Liberty, in exchange for a 37 per cent equity interest in the combined company.

The combined company will deliver best-in-class completion services for the sustainable development of unconventional resource plays in the United States and Canada land markets.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020 and is subject to Liberty stockholder approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Liberty will continue to be led by its current management team. 

Liberty chairman and chief executive officer Chris Wright stated, “From day one, the Liberty team has been laser focused on delivering superior returns for our customers and stockholders. The last several months have been extremely challenging for the world, the industry and the Liberty family. These times also bring opportunity. This transaction will be a transformative step forward in our journey as a company. Our expanded technology portfolio and breadth of operations will enable Liberty to further raise our already high bar for safe, innovative, efficient and ESG-conscious frac operations. I look forward to the OneStim team joining Liberty on our mission to help customers provide low-cost clean oil & gas to our country and the world.”

Schlumberger chief executive officer Olivier Le Peuch commented, “I’m very proud we have reached this agreement to combine our OneStim business with a leader in North American hydraulic fracturing who shares a like-minded focus on customers, technology, people and our safety culture. This partnership provides an ideal home for our OneStim business and its employees and is in line with our capital stewardship strategy while benefiting from future market upside through our equity stake. Alongside the comprehensive suite of services and products that Schlumberger continues to offer in North America land, this partnership with Liberty will uniquely position us to leverage our technology and scale to significantly improve our customers’ performance.”