ConocoPhillips Moving Jobs To Bartlesville

Associated Press

PONCA CITY, OK -- Starting in April, ConocoPhillips will be reducing its presence in Ponca City and increasing jobs in Bartlesville.

The results of a 3-month study were announced in Ponca City Tuesday morning.

ConocoPhillips spokesperson Tracy Harlow says the study found the oil company needed to consolidate its operations.

The most cost effective way to do this in Ponca City was to relocate non-refinery and non-pipeline jobs in Ponca City to Bartlesville, Houston and other field locations in the U.S.

ConocoPhillips announced last month that it would cut about 1,300 jobs around the world, or about 4 percent of its global work force.

Some of those jobs in Ponca City would be impacted by that job reduction.

Harlow says phase one of the consolidation means 250 jobs will be relocated starting in April. Of the 250 jobs, 70 positions will be relocated to Bartlesville.

Phase two, or the relocation of the 500 remaining Ponca City jobs, according to Harlow, would begin in either 2010 or 2011 depending upon the economy.

The oil company will be holding a town hall meeting Tuesday evening to explain the results of its study.