Fluor’s Drilling Subsidiary Relocates to New Orleans

Fluor Corp., the Irvine-based engineering, construction and natural resources management company, has moved its Fluor Drilling Services Inc. subsidiary to New Orleans, the center of nearly all of its remaining oil- and gas-drilling activities. Of about 10 employees affected, half remained in Irvine in other Fluor jobs and the rest resigned, a company spokesman said.

Fluor earlier had sold or otherwise ended its offshore and foreign drilling activities and closed down its Western Offshore Drilling & Exploration Co. unit. John P. Carpenter, 35, who had headed Fluor Drilling Service’s Coral division, which was based in New Orleans to handle operations in the Gulf of Mexico, was named president of the subsidiary.

He replaces Howell T. Hunt, the interim president since 1984--when J. Robert Fluor II was promoted to vice president for corporate relations. Hunt resumes his duties as vice president of the subsidiary.