The rhetorical question of whether a leopard can change its spots may now apply to one of the largest oilfield service providers in the world. Baker Hughes, newly independent from GE, is no longer “Little Blue” (as opposed to Schlumberger, “Big Blue.”)
As of Sept. 30, the company is sporting new colours – green. It’s evident in its new webpage, where almost every image has a green element, from fire retardant coveralls to lighting. The new logo is made of a mobius strip, essentially an endless loop. It, too, is two-tone green.
“Our logo symbolizes the spirit and purpose of the new Baker Hughes — to take energy forward, making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet,” states the branding guidelines on the company’s website.
Company staff were shown the new look on Oct. 8, according to the Houston Chronicle. The company’s name is expected to change from Baker Hughes, a GE Company, to Baker Hughes Co. on Oct. 17.
General Electric decided in mid-2018 to sell off its controlling ownership in Baker Hughes, only two years after buying it. Baker Hughes has one of the longest histories in the oilpatch, going back to when Howard Hughes, Sr., father of the infamous Howard Hughes, Jr., co-invented two-cone drill bits in 1908. In 1907, Reuben Baker patented a casing shoe. In 1987, Hughes Tool Company and Baker Oil Tool Company merged.
