Thread regarding Cameron International Corp. layoffs

SLB structure for Cameron

What would Schlumberger do with Cameron?

SLB is very technology centric. Onesubsea is the crown jewel, it will get investment and growth. Likely improve overall offerings. FMC likely to be acquired if oil stays low because the market is weak and they have little cash. Probably a good bet for GE.

Surface has some interesting technology, SLB can consolidate the sales teams with their service offerings.

PCS offers interesting tech for OSS processing. Otherwise, may not be worth keeping. PCS just hid OSS' terrible margins from wall street.

VM is not technology driven, divest them. Margins lag the rest of the business, maybe keep engineered.

Land drill equipment will absorb into SLB, note their synthetic diamond buy.

Then drive efficiency by integrating (gutting, outsourcing, and consolidating) sales, supply chain, marketing, projects, IT, legal, finance, Hr, HSE, accounting, management, and some small pieces of manufacturing. $300 and $600M in savings in these areas. Sell off assets because Cameron is asset heavy which pushes down return on capital. Let some internal manufacturing be outsourced for efficiency.

For growth, drive new technology, push services, integrate sensors and software, improve pricing and fill in gaps across market strengths like OSS.

SLB is an M&A machine. Just sit back and watch.

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| 2152 views | | 7 replies (last September 8, 2015) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+DjXPl3V

7 replies (most recent on top)

"Good assessment. Commodity valve products and legacy engineered valves are not a SLB business. I'm betting these are already being negotiated for sale. The way the business units were restructured early this year and downsized points in that direction. The value is in the brands."

Cameron and OSS will keep their product name. I doubt buyers would have much confidence in a SLB Subsea Tree, Wellhead, Upper Completion etc

Cameron had alot of patients in the Oilfield services industry such as the first Cameron DC (Electrical) Tree, First BOP, Inventors of the Horizontal Spool Tree.

FMC, Aker and GE all copied these designs.

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Post ID: @400O+DjXPl3V

I work for the Field Service Sector of OSS and we barely have enough projects to keep us technicians going. I dont know if this SLB buyout will result in more skilled staff being paid off. I hope not. This will be my second experience first being when Vetco Gray got bought over by GE.

There was a mass exodus of field staff who left Cameron Subsea 3 years ago and we barely had the technicians for the demand of work. It even resulted myself being sent to APME to take on their China Workscope for CNOOC and Husky.

There was talk of one of the big bosses saying things will be worse before they get better and we have taken a second pay freeze.

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Post ID: @4YUe+DjXPl3V

The asset/ business unit sales were due to pressure from Activist hedge fund Jana Partners. They dramatically shifted the direction of the company. That shaky focus led to SLB noticing CAM as attractive. Moreover, once SLB set its sights on Cameron, nothing could stop them.

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Post ID: @2Xqn+DjXPl3V

You had strategy being planned by quickly promoted a**kissers that did not have a clue. Implemented things drawn up quickly without experience. It usually takes a few years for the poor quality management decisions to catch up. IF they had set this in play with people that actually know the industry, you would have seen a much stronger Cameron the last 4 - 5 years. Unfortunately, they were too busy building kingdoms. Look what happened to the old Dresser Industries 20+ years ago. Same scenario. People insist on repeating history.

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Post ID: @2m4T+DjXPl3V

Also seems like, originally this plan started from the sale of Compression divisions, not one year plan by SLB

Cameron a company in the row of companies which missed to invest in technology and innovation by expecting the Future / Disruptive Change and plan for it, like Kodak and Konica

If the hard work what we have done would have been used / directed in the right way for the last 4 to 5 years - we might not be in this condition now

Bad Strategy from the WORST ELT

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Post ID: @2EWs+DjXPl3V

A little rambling, but this makes a lot of sense!! The idea is the most rational I have seen on this forum so far.

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Post ID: @17KY+DjXPl3V

Good assessment. Commodity valve products and legacy engineered valves are not a SLB business. I'm betting these are already being negotiated for sale. The way the business units were restructured early this year and downsized points in that direction. The value is in the brands.

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Post ID: @FVl+DjXPl3V

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