MEDICINE HAT, AB — Oil and gas companies are slowly making their way back to Medicine Hat, a sign that the economy is turning around.
Ed Oke with Calfrac confirmed to CHAT News they’ve reopened a station office in Redcliff.
The major well services company closed down the Medicine Hat operation in 2016.
“The last two years has been extremely difficult and just like every oil field service company, we’ve had to make some tough decisions,” Oke said over the phone from Calgary. “The closure of Medicine Hat was probably one of the toughest decisions we’ve ever made as a company because it was our founded district.”
Oke said they kept their facility here and are now looking to hire 60 employees.
He said activity levels are up and knows there’s work just across the border in Saskatchewan. He hopes to bring back former employees, but knows there are people out there who have changed their minds about the oil field.
“It’s hard for people not to be a little dismayed about the industry, but we also have to remember this industry is cyclical and we regularly go through these cycles,” he said. “I think the difference this time is this cycle was longer and deeper than anybody thought it would be.”
STEP Energy is also expanding and are looking at a property near Medicine Hat.
Dean Fraser with the energy company said back in January, the company was looking to hire roughly 40 people.
They’ve since hired on the staff they need and Fraser said they’ve almost all completed their orientation training.
Fraser hopes a number of people are able to start working as early as this week.
“I don’t know if our competitors are seeing the kind of growth and work that we are, I would imagine they are seeing some,” Fraser said over the phone from Blackfalds. “But for us to be able to expand into the Medicine Hat area, it definitely shows that there’s work down there and things are getting better.”
“We’re cautiously optimistic that things are getting better,” Fraser added.
