ANDERSONVILLE — Imerys Oilfield Solutions issued the following statement after laying off employees at its Andersonville production plant.

“With the plummeting price of oil, and the industry wide slowdown in drilling activity, Imerys Oilfield Solutions (IOS) has experienced a substantial reduction in orders over the last 60 days. As a result of these market conditions, IOS will be mothballing it’s facility in Andersonville, Georgia for an undetermined period. At the same time we will be mothballing the Gemini facility, we will also be reducing production at our Wrens facility. As market conditions become more favorable the business will make a determination as to when production would fully resume. These are difficult decisions to make, because we know how this action will impact our people and their families. This is an extremely tough time for everyone involved, but we truly feel that taking this action now will, in the long run, position this business to be competitive long-term. Our continued commitment to servicing our customer base remains strong through this downturn and we will come out of this stronger as an Industry.”

While Imerys Oilfield Solutions employs over 15,000 people around the world, it is unknown how many employees have been affected at the Andersonville plant.