FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AT
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 1995                             (202) 616-2771
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT APPROVES ACQUISITION IN OIL AND GAS WELL
               PRESSURE PUMPING SERVICE INDUSTRY
                                
     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice's Antitrust
Division approved a restructured merger between two Houston oil
field pressure pumping services companies to benefit consumers
and preserve competition in the oil and gas production industry
in the Rocky Mountain region.  
     BJ Services, the third largest U.S. pressure pumping service
company with 1993 annual revenues of more than $390 million,
intends to acquire The Western Company of North America, the
fourth largest U.S. provider of pressure pumping services to the
oil and gas production industry.  Western had 1993 annual
revenues of more than $290 million.  Both companies are
headquartered in Houston.  
     Pressure pumping services are used to complete oil and gas
wells and to increase the amount of oil or gas recoverable from
those wells.
     The Department indicated to the parties that the proposed
acquisition raised serious antitrust concerns in oil field
pressure pump services in the Rocky Mountain region.  Because of
the Department's concerns, BJ Services agreed to sell pressure
pumping equipment located at its Brighton, Colorado, facility to
Nowsco Well Service Ltd, headquartered in Calgary, Canada.  In
light of the agreement by BJ Services, the Department will not
challenge the acquisition of Western.
     Anne K. Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of
the Antitrust Division, said, "This divestiture will preserve the
competition between oil and gas well pressure pumping services in
the Rocky Mountain region that would have been lost if the merger
had taken place as originally structured.  Small to medium-sized
independent oil and gas producers will benefit from the
competition provided by independent competitors." 
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