Publications
Publications
- May 2020
- HBS Case Collection
Schlumberger's WesternGeco Division
By: John R. Wells, Sneha Biswas and Benjamin Weinstock
Abstract
In October 2017, Maurice Nessim, President of WesternGeco, a business unit of Schlumberger, faced a difficult decision. In the face of falling oil prices and increasing pressure on costs, did it make sense to sell off the company’s specialized fleet of seismic survey vessels and focus on data processing and interpretation of survey results? How would this affect the company’s competitive advantage? And what view might the company’s parent, Schlumberger, take? As the largest oilfield services provider in the world, did it make sense for Schlumberger to exit offshore seismic services?
Keywords
Market Entry and Exit; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Decision Making; Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Energy Industry; Information Technology Industry
Citation
Wells, John R., Sneha Biswas, and Benjamin Weinstock. "Schlumberger's WesternGeco Division." Harvard Business School Case 720-470, May 2020.