Smith International was a
Fortune 500
The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...
company headquartered in the
Greenspoint
Greater Greenspoint, also referred to as the North Houston District, is a business district and a suburban neighborhood in northern Harris County, Texas, United States, located mostly within the city limits of Houston. Centered around the juncti ...
district and in
unincorporated Harris County, Texas
Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, ...
.
[Boundary Map]
." Greenspoint Management District
Greater Greenspoint, also referred to as the North Houston District, is a business district and a suburban neighborhood in northern Harris County, Texas, United States, located mostly within the city limits of Houston. Centered around the juncti ...
. Retrieved on May 19, 2009. Smith International ceased to exist as an independent company following the merger with
Schlumberger
Schlumberger Limited (), doing business as SLB, is an oilfield services company. Schlumberger has four principal executive offices located in Paris, Houston, London, and The Hague.
Schlumberger is the world's largest offshore drilling compa ...
. This company supplies products to gas and oil production and exploration companies. The company used to be identified by its red Sii logo. The company has recently changed its logo to consist of the word "SMITH" in black capital letters with a green globe.
A February 21, 2010 announcement said Schlumberger would acquire the company in an all-stock deal valued at $11.3 billion. The sale price of 45.84 per share was 37.5 percent higher than Smith's closing price on February 18, 2010. The deal is the biggest acquisition in Schlumberger history.
The merger received unconditional approval from the US Department of Justice on July 27, 2010. Subsequently, the merger with Schlumberger was completed on August 27, 2010.
Company history
The original part of the company, Smith Bits, grew out of a blacksmith shop in the small town of Whittier, California, in 1902. It was there, at the age of 20, that Herman C. Smith became the right man in the right place at the right time: oil was discovered nearby and the local drilling operators needed their fishtail bits sharpened. Smith had the skills to do the job, but being a curious sort, began to tinker. Using his knowledge of metals, he modified and improved oilfield tools, designing and constructing new tools on demand. Over the ensuing 80-some years, Smith's humble shop grew into a major operation specializing in drill bits, heavyweight collars and drill pipe, with corporate headquarters in Houston.
In the mid-1980s, business faltered due to declining oil prices and the loss of a lawsuit against Hughes Tool (now part of
Hughes Christensen
Baker Hughes Company, organized in Delaware and headquartered in Houston, is one of the world's largest oil field services companies. The company provides products and services for oil well drilling, formation evaluation, completion, productio ...
). Under the leadership of then CEO Doug Rock, the company began to rebuild and reinvent itself in a campaign of growth through acquisition. Over the next 20 years, Smith acquired more than 80 companies, the largest of which was W-H Energy purchased in 2008, itself a conglomerate of more than a dozen businesses. During this time, Smith also relocated its offices from Irvine, California to Houston, Texas.
The strategy worked. Smith International grew into a global, diversified Fortune 500 company that had three main operating segments: M-I SWACO, a 60-40% joint venture with
Schlumberger
Schlumberger Limited (), doing business as SLB, is an oilfield services company. Schlumberger has four principal executive offices located in Paris, Houston, London, and The Hague.
Schlumberger is the world's largest offshore drilling compa ...
; Wilson Distribution, one of the two largest energy industry supply chain solutions businesses in North America; and, as of last year, Smith Oilfield. The latter encompasses Smith Bits, Smith Services and all of the acquired W-H Energy businesses, the majority of which have retained their original names and identities.
Company Divisions
Smith International had many separate divisions that perform various functions in drilling and the
petrochemical industry
The petrochemical industry is concerned with the production and trade of petrochemicals. A major part is constituted by the plastics (polymer) industry. It directly interfaces with the petroleum industry, especially the downstream sector.
Compan ...
. Many of the legacy brand names have been retained post-merger with Schlumberger under Schlumberger's Drilling Products & Services.
These are:
* Smith Bits - A Schlumberger Company (formerly Sii Bits).
* PathFinder - A Schlumberger Company (formerly Pathfinder Energy Services)
* Dyna-drill
* Neyrfor - A Schlumberger Company designs, manufactures, and markets
turbodrills, used to drill oil and gas wells.
* Smith Services - A Schlumberger Company
* Wilson Leading distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, mill and safety supplies
* M-I SWACO - A Schlumberger Company
* At Balance - A Schlumberger Company
* MegaDiamond
* Thomas Tools
* E&P Wireline Services
* DRILCO Inspection Services
See also
*
List of oilfield service companies
References
{{Reflist
Engineering companies of the United States
Energy companies of the United States
Oil companies of the United States
Non-renewable resource companies established in 1937
Companies based in Houston
Oilfield services companies
Schlumberger
2010 mergers and acquisitions