Oil business recruits women to replace the retiring old boys

Halliburton, an oil field services company, is adding a femine touch to the gift items it distributes at job fairs and conferences, in a bid to encourage more women to join its ranks. ( Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle )

The oil industry is trying to polish up its male-oriented image in hopes of attracting more women to its ranks.

Halliburton’s promotional nail polish in the company’s signature “rig crew red,” though, is just one approach the industry is taking to widen the pool of workers available to replace retiring Baby Boomers.

The oil field services company and others in the business also are raising their profiles on college campuses and in women’s professional groups, among other steps to attract women to an industry where they now represent less than a fifth of the work force.

Ryan Holeywell has the story on the push to attract women to the oil field at houstonchronicle.com