Encana to cut workforce by 20 per cent in reorganization

CALGARY—Canadian natural gas giant Encana Corp. says it will cut its workforce by 20 per cent, close its office in Plano, Texas, and spin off a large portion of its Alberta assets into a separate public company.

Encana didn’t say how many jobs will be cut during the reorganization but said it would consolidate its office locations in Calgary and Denver.

As of late 2012 it had about 650 corporate staff out of a total workforce of nearly 4,200 in Canada and the United States.

“In order to align our organization with our strategy, we have had to make a number of exceptionally difficult decisions,” Encana CEO Doug Suttles said in a statement.

“The restructuring that is underway reflects our shift from funding about 30 different plays to focusing our resources on five key areas.”

“We will work as hard as we can to make these staffing decisions quickly and thoughtfully and we will treat everyone affected with respect as we work through this very difficult part of our transition.”

Calgary-based Encana announced the reorganization about a month after Suttles, who became CEO in June, revealed his new management structure and team.

The company’s statement said about five million acres of Alberta lands and associated royalty interests, currently known as Encana’s Clearwater play, will be transferred to a new public company next year.

Encana will retain a significant stake in the new company.

Meanwhile, Encana will spend about three-quarters of next year’s capital budget on five resource plays that offer higher returns because they are rich in oil and natural gas liquids.

They include the Montney play in northeastern British Columbia and the Duvernay play in Alberta. The others are the DJ Basin, San Juan Basin and Tuscaloosa Marine Shale.

Like other natural gas producers, Encana has been struggling with persistently low prices. Many have adjusted by focusing more on oil or liquids-rich natural gas that offer higher margins.