Benny Ford drives back to Benro Pump and Supply after picking up a downhole pumping unit from a well site near Goldsmith on Aug. 14.We’re testing using AI-powered tools to provide an audio version of this story. While this audio recording is machine-generated, the story was written by human journalists.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.
To be sure, the 10-person company established in 1984 is still making a profit: 40% last year. But the phone isn’t ringing like it used to. A customer’s well had dried up after four years. The company had no other use for it. Ford was sent there to collect the 24-foot pump. After a year on the job, he took a break. When it was time to go back to work, he saw a job listing at Benro Pump. Ford knew nothing about pumps when he was interviewed but said he was a quick study.
The name stuck. So has the business, despite the winding economic downturns in the oil and gas industry that followed. Bilbrey prides himself on the quality of the pumps. The company builds different models, which range dramatically in price. A so-called Cadillac pump, built with high-grade metals and parts, which can go deeper, can cost up to $17,000. These pumps last up to 20 years. His team will also service the equipment and replace parts quickly.
Despite changes in drilling, companies will still need pumps to collect oil from wells. Bilbrey said companies need to be persuaded to spend that kind of money on a quality pump when they can get it cheaper from a wholesaler, whose pumps sell for 10-15% less. Though it is not much of a difference, Bilbrey said larger companies — of which there are more than 30 in the area — don’t offer the continued dedicated service that Benro Pump does.
The number of exploration and production companies that find and drill for oil is also decreasing. There are 16% fewer producers than in 2021 — approximately 116 companies have been purchased or merged into larger ones, according to data provided by Rystad Energy.