PXP to bring 400 jobs to Broussard

Plains Exploration and Production, a Houston-based independent oil and gas company, will locate a deepwater Gulf of Mexico warehouse and administrative offices in Broussard that should generate up to 400 “good-paying” jobs and additional contract positions, local officials announced Thursday.

The warehouse will have 120,000 square feet of storage, some climate-controlled, and will house equipment and parts for offshore operations. An office facility of 8,000 square feet will house managers and serve as a response area during hurricane evacuations, according to a prepared statement.

“We are committed to the Lafayette area for the long term,” said Doss R. Bourgeois, Plains Exploration and Production, or PXP, vice president for exploration and production. “We expanded our presence in Lafayette and surrounding communities to manage our day-to-day deepwater Gulf of Mexico operations.”

The Lemoine Co. of Lafayette will employ about 200 workers to build the Bernard Road facility. Construction began in March and will conclude in September.

The news comes amid a spate of expansions among local businesses, including the recent groundbreaking for an expanded corporate headquarters by Stella Maris in Lafayette and construction of a new plant by Hoover Container Solutions in Scott. Stella Maris, which provides engineering and manufacturing for the oil and gas industry, is expected to create about 30 new jobs once the expansion is completed. The new Hoover plant is expected to add an additional 120 jobs.

Building an oil, gas corridor
PXP officials said the warehouse will create an additional 300 to 400 jobs with additional contract positions expected to develop over the next five years. The city of Broussard will contribute infrastructure as needed for the project, including the widening of Bernard Road, officials said.

“We have been working with the Plains Exploration and Production team for some time now,” Broussard Mayor Charles Langlinais said through a spokeswoman Thursday. “We are going to begin working on short-term, mid-term and long-term infrastructure needs on Bernard Road to support this project and future projects we hope will soon follow.

“Jim Flores’ decision to locate this facility here in Broussard is a major addition to the oil and gas corridor we are building in this city, and we look forward to working with Plains Exploration and Production for many years to come.”

Flores is chairman, president and chief executive officer of PXP.

Lafayette Economic Development Authority President Gregg Gothreaux said Thursday that expansion of PXP’s Gulf of Mexico operations would create more than 600 direct and contract positions over the next five years with an average annual salary of $100,000. PXP already employs 220 people in and around Lafayette; 180 were hired after PXP acquired Gulf of Mexico deepwater assets last November.

Other expansions
Stella Maris’ expansion of its corporate headquarters on West Pont des Mouton Road will allow the company to expand its reach in the industry. The company focuses on hydraulic power units, chemical injection skis, hydro test systems and custom equipment.

“This expansion continues our commitment to our community,” said Ryan Dugas, director of operations, in a recent prepared statement. “The addition will provide an additional 23,000 square feet. It will also provide at least 30 more jobs immediately upon completion.

“We are pleased with our continued growth allowing us the opportunity for expansion, adding jobs to the local economy and providing additional products and services to our clients,” he said.

Hoover is building a 30,000-square-foot plant on an undeveloped parcel in Scott.