Halliburton Company
Company History
Halliburton History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1919 in Dallas, United States
When was Halliburton founded?
Halliburton was founded in 1919 in Dallas, United States by Erle P. Halliburton, making it 107 years old.
- Founded
- 1919
- Founding place
- Dallas, United States
- Founders
- Erle P. Halliburton
- Headquarters today
- Houston, Texas, United States
- Milestones documented
- 22 (1919–2026)
- Current CEO
- Jeffrey A. Miller
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1919 | Founding of New Method Oil Well Cementing Company |
| 1920 | Reorganization as Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company |
| 1921 | Headquarters established in Duncan, Oklahoma |
| 1924 | Incorporation and major oil company investments |
| 1926 | First international expansion |
| 1938 | First offshore cementing job |
| 1948 | New York Stock Exchange listing |
| 1949 | First commercial hydraulic fracturing treatments |
| 1957 | Acquisition of Welex Jet Services |
| 1960 | Name shortened to Halliburton Company |
| 1961 | Headquarters moved to Dallas, Texas |
| 1962 | Acquisition of Brown & Root |
| 1980 | Acquisitions of geophysical service companies |
| 1998 | Merger with Dresser Industries |
| 2007 | Spin-off of KBR subsidiary |
| 2014 | Proposed acquisition of Baker Hughes announced |
| 2016 | Termination of Baker Hughes acquisition |
| 2017 | Jeff Miller appointed President and CEO |
| 2019 | Jeff Miller becomes Chairman, President and CEO |
| 2022 | MultiChem manufacturing facility opened in Saudi Arabia |
| 2024 | Cybersecurity incident and operational response |
| 2026 | Sale of part of Multi-Chem business |
- Where was Halliburton founded?
- Halliburton was founded in Dallas, United States in 1919. wikidata.org
- Who founded Halliburton?
- Halliburton was founded by Erle P. Halliburton.
- When did Halliburton start?
- Halliburton was founded in 1919.
- How old is Halliburton?
- Halliburton is 107 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Erle P. Halliburton learned oil-well cementing at the Perkins Oil Well Cementing Company in California and was fired for pushing too many changes. In 1919 he moved to Burkburnett, Texas, and started the New Method Oil Well Cementing Company with a borrowed pump, a wagon and a wooden mixing box. He and his wife Vida worked with little money, at one point pawning her wedding rings to pay workers. After moving to Duncan, Oklahoma, the business won work controlling a wild well for Skelly Oil, reorganized as the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company in 1920 and patented a jet cement mixer in 1922. Cementing, which seals a well against water and gas, is still part of the company's core business more than 100 years later.
Founders
Erle P. Halliburton
Halliburton possesses a gritty, pragmatic founding story, rooted in the chaotic oil booms of the early 20th century American Southwest and built entirely upon a single, technological innovation that altered oil extraction. The company was founded in 1919 in Duncan, Oklahoma, by Erle P. Halliburton. Halliburton was a driven, practical man who had previously served in the US Navy (where he gained engineering experience) and briefly worked for the Perkins Oil Well Cementing Company in California (where he was fired for suggesting too many improvements). Halliburton moved to the rapid, oil fields of Burkburnett, Texas, and formed the New Method Oil Well Cementing Company. At the time, drilling for oil was dangerous and inefficient. Water from underground aquifers constantly leaked into the oil wells, ruining the production and frequently causing catastrophic blowouts. Halliburton's foundational key move was perfecting the process of 'oil well cementing.' He invented complex methods to pump amounts of specialized cement down into the well casing, sealing off the water and stabilizing the well. His process was so successful and reliable that it quickly became the industry standard. He patented his inventions (like the jet mixer) and expanded his operations, officially incorporating the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company in 1924. By solving the most destructive problem in early oil extraction, Erle Halliburton transformed a dangerous, scrappy Oklahoma cementing operation into the foundational, indispensable engineering backbone of the entire global energy industry. Erle P. Halliburton was born in 1892.
Key Milestones
Founding of New Method Oil Well Cementing Company
Erle P. Halliburton founded the company in Duncan, Oklahoma, with approximately $1,000 raised from four friends, a borrowed pump, a wagon and mules, and a wooden mixing box he built himself. He and his wife Vida worked tirelessly with borrowed equipment and little cash, at one point pawning her wedding rings to pay hired help.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgReorganization as Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company
On May 7, 1920, Halliburton reorganized his enterprise as the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company. The company's big break came when Skelly Oil Company hired him to control a wild well in the Hewitt-Wilson Field in south-central Oklahoma, proving the value of his cementing services.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHeadquarters established in Duncan, Oklahoma
The company established its headquarters in Duncan, Oklahoma, and Halliburton patented the 'jet-cement' mixer in 1922, which increased the speed and quality of the cement mixing process. By late 1922, seventeen Halliburton trucks were cementing wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIncorporation and major oil company investments
The company was incorporated in Delaware, with seven major oil companies making significant investments. This provided the capital for expansion and established Halliburton as a serious player in the emerging oilfield services industry.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst international expansion
Halliburton established its first international operation in Canada and began equipment sales to Burma (now Myanmar), marking the start of the company's global footprint that would eventually span more than 70 countries.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst offshore cementing job
Halliburton completed its first offshore cementing job using a truck mounted on a barge in the Gulf of Mexico, pioneering offshore oilfield services and expanding the company's capabilities beyond land-based operations.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNew York Stock Exchange listing
Halliburton's stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, providing access to public capital markets and marking the company's transition from a regional service provider to a nationally recognized corporation.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst commercial hydraulic fracturing treatments
Halliburton performed the first commercial hydraulic fracturing treatments in Oklahoma and Texas, pioneering a technology that would eventually unlock vast unconventional oil and gas reserves and transform the global energy industry.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Welex Jet Services
Halliburton acquired Welex Jet Services of Fort Worth, expanding the company's service capabilities. Two years later, in 1959, the company acquired Otis Engineering Corporation of Dallas, further broadening its product and service portfolio.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgName shortened to Halliburton Company
The firm shortened its name from Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company to Halliburton Company, reflecting its evolution beyond cementing into a diversified oilfield services enterprise.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHeadquarters moved to Dallas, Texas
Halliburton moved its headquarters from Duncan, Oklahoma, to Dallas, Texas, positioning the company closer to the center of the US oil and gas industry and facilitating access to capital, talent, and customers.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Brown & Root
Halliburton acquired Brown & Root of Houston for $36.7 million, gaining industrial and marine engineering and construction capabilities. Brown & Root built the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisitions of geophysical service companies
During the 1980s, Halliburton acquired Geophysical Services from Texas Instruments and Geosource, another geophysical service company. It also started Halliburton Logging Services through a buyout of Gearhart Industries, expanding into well logging and reservoir evaluation.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger with Dresser Industries
Halliburton merged with Dresser Industries in a $7.7 billion deal, creating Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) and significantly expanding the company's engineering, equipment, and government contracting capabilities.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSpin-off of KBR subsidiary
Halliburton spun off KBR as an independent company, refocusing on core oilfield services and exiting the government contracting and construction businesses that had created strategic and reputational challenges.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgProposed acquisition of Baker Hughes announced
Halliburton announced a proposed $34.6 billion acquisition of Baker Hughes, which would have created a $60 billion oilfield services giant. The deal was intended to achieve $2 billion in annual cost synergies.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTermination of Baker Hughes acquisition
Halliburton and Baker Hughes mutually agreed to terminate the $34.6 billion merger due to regulatory opposition from the US Department of Justice and antitrust authorities globally. Halliburton paid a $3.5 billion breakup fee, one of the largest in corporate history.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgJeff Miller appointed President and CEO
Jeffrey A. Miller was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Dave Lesar. Miller, who had joined Halliburton in 1997, brought deep operational experience and a focus on capital discipline and international growth.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgJeff Miller becomes Chairman, President and CEO
Jeff Miller added the Chairman of the Board title, consolidating leadership. Under his direction, Halliburton made 'advance a sustainable energy future' a strategic priority and set measurable sustainability targets.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMultiChem manufacturing facility opened in Saudi Arabia
Halliburton opened a MultiChem manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, expanding regional production capabilities for specialty chemicals and strengthening the company's position in the Middle East market.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCybersecurity incident and operational response
On August 21, 2024, Halliburton detected unauthorized access to some of its systems, took systems offline and disclosed the incident in SEC Form 8-K filings. It later reported about $35 million of related costs.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSale of part of Multi-Chem business
Halliburton completed the sale of a portion of its Multi-Chem specialty chemicals business to Praana Group in Q2 2026. In the same quarter, revenue rose 6% sequentially to $5.7 billion.
Source: halliburton.comMajor Acquisitions
Brown & Root
1962Halliburton acquired Brown & Root of Houston to add industrial and marine engineering and construction capabilities. Brown & Root built large projects including the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (now the Johnson Space Center).
Dresser Industries
1998Halliburton merged with Dresser Industries in a $7.7 billion deal to create a diversified energy services and equipment giant. The merger combined Halliburton's oilfield services with Dresser's engineering, equipment, and M.W. Kellogg subsidiary, creating Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR).
Welex Jet Services
1957Halliburton acquired Welex Jet Services of Fort Worth to expand its service capabilities into well logging and perforating, complementing the company's cementing and stimulation businesses.
Otis Engineering Corporation
1959Halliburton acquired Otis Engineering Corporation of Dallas to expand its production services capabilities, particularly in well completion and artificial lift technologies.
Keep researching Halliburton
Halliburton Company History FAQ
What are the major historical eras in the century-long journey of Halliburton?
Halliburton's history spans its Oklahoma cementing founding and jet mixer patent era (1919-1940s), the commercial hydraulic fracturing revolution (1949-1960s), the offshore expansion and Brown & Root era (1960s-1980s), the digital software and Landmark integration era (1990s), the North American shale revolution under Dave Lesar (2000-2016), and the capital-disciplined Zeus electric fleet and international NOC expansion era under Jeff Miller (2017-present).
How did Halliburton transform well intervention with the introduction of Coiled Tubing in the 1960s?
In the 1960s, Halliburton co-developed commercial coiled tubing units, allowing continuous steel pipe reels to be inserted into live, pressurized oil and gas wells for cleaning, acidizing, and logging without shutting down active well production.
What was the significance of Halliburton's role in the 1991 Kuwait oil fire firefighting effort?
Following the Gulf War in 1991, Halliburton and subsidiary Boots & Coots played a heroic role in capping and extinguishing hundreds of sabotaged, blazing Kuwaiti oil wells months ahead of international engineering estimates, averting catastrophic global environmental destruction.
How did Halliburton enable the American unconventional shale revolution in the 2000s?
Halliburton combined precision horizontal directional drilling, multi-stage slickwater fracturing, and engineered proppants to unlock vast oil and natural gas reserves previously trapped in tight shale formations across the Barnett, Bakken, Eagle Ford, and Permian basins.
How did Halliburton celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2019?
In 2019, Halliburton celebrated 100 years since its 1919 founding in Duncan, Oklahoma, ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and publishing its centennial history commemorating a century of engineering breakthroughs across global energy.
How did Halliburton handle the Deepwater Horizon Macondo oil spill litigation in 2010?
Following the 2010 Macondo blowout, Halliburton (which provided cementing services on the rig) reached a comprehensive $1.1 billion civil settlement in 2014, resolving the vast majority of private economic loss and property claims.
How has Halliburton deployed digital automation and remote operating centers globally?
Halliburton established Real-Time Operations Centers (ROCs) worldwide, allowing geoscientists and drilling engineers to monitor downhole pressure data, steer drilling tools, and control hydraulic fracturing pumps remotely thousands of miles from the wellsite.
What is Halliburton's long-term corporate mission for the future of global energy?
Halliburton's mission is to collaborate and engineer solutions to maximize asset value for energy producers, delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to power human progress while driving innovation in low-carbon energy technologies.
How did Halliburton start?
Halliburton was founded in 1919 by Erle P. Halliburton in Duncan, Oklahoma. He started the "New Method Oil Well Cementing Company" using just a borrowed horse-drawn wagon and a pump. He brilliantly realized that cementing the casing of oil wells prevented deadly blowouts and water contamination, a process that revolutionized the entire global oil industry.
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