Halliburton Company

Halliburton Company’s History of Asbestos Use

Erle Halliburton began his company after his firing from Perkins Oil Well Cementing Company. Allegedly, Halliburton was let go due to his numerous suggestions on how the Perkins company could improve. Using the skills he gained through his time serving in the Navy and his short stint at Perkins, he set out to change the oil industry.

He moved from California to Texas to introduce his ideas to the oil industry. Unfortunately, Texas was not impressed. Unfazed, Halliburton moved to Oklahoma and pressed on.

In Oklahoma, Halliburton Company was a quick success. By 1932, the company had four branches and 75 crews and offered services in seven states. As oil continued to gain popularity in the United States, and across the world, the Halliburton Company prospered. The company’s large profit margin led them to acquire many companies, including Brown & Root Inc. in 1962 and Dresser Industries Inc. in 1998.

These two acquisitions would prove problematic for Halliburton. Although Halliburton Company did not use asbestos itself, Brown & Root Inc. and Dresser Industries used asbestos in their products, leading to asbestos cases. Through the Dresser acquisition alone, Halliburton inherited 300,000 asbestos claims. These claims and the related litigation costs led the company to file for bankruptcy in December 2003.

DII Industries, LLC Asbestos PI Trust Fund

In 1998, Halliburton Company acquired Dresser Industries, Inc. and assumed responsibility for asbestos claims associated with both Dresser Industries, Inc. and Harbison-Walker Refractories Company.

After Harbison-Walker Refractories Company filed for bankruptcy in 2002, Halliburton reached a settlement agreement to form a $5.1 billion asbestos trust fund. The trust was funded with approximately 60 million shares of Halliburton stock and $2.8 billion in cash.

On January 20, 2005, the DII Industries, LLC Asbestos PI Trust was established to pay claims on behalf of:

• Dresser Industries, Inc.
• Halliburton Company
• Harbison-Walker Refractories Company
• Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc.

The trust is operational and still accepting Halliburton claims today. In the interest of protecting the rights of future asbestos claimants, all successful claims filed against the trust are compensated according to a set payment percentage.

Most Recent Information From DII Industries, LLC Asbestos PI Trust

According to the trust’s year-end 2025 report, as of December 31, 2025:

• 4,646 Halliburton asbestos claims were paid.
• The trust paid approximately $50.64 million in Halliburton asbestos claims.
• Approximately $4.423 million was reported in settled but unpaid Halliburton and Harbison-Walker claims.
• The DII Industries, LLC Asbestos PI Trust has approximately $1.33 billion in total assets.

Current DII Industries, LLC Asbestos Trust Payment Percentage for Halliburton Claims

The current payment percentage is 60% for the DII Industries, LLC Asbestos PI Trust. At a payment percentage of 60%, the current payout on a Halliburton Expedited Review claim for mesothelioma is $34,320.

Determining Review Process When Filing a Halliburton Claim

An experienced asbestos lawyer will review the injured party’s information to determine the appropriate review process for submitting a Halliburton asbestos claim. A sample of Halliburton claims filed between 2023 and 2025 indicated that approximately 81% of claims were filed under the Expedited Review (ER) process. Approximately 19% of Halliburton claims were filed using the Individual Review (IR) process.

• Expedited Review Process: Halliburton claims filed under the ER process will undergo a streamlined review by the trust based on the medical and exposure criteria outlined in the Trust Distribution Procedures. Qualified claims will receive the standard scheduled value payment based on the diagnosed disease level.
• Individual Review Process: Halliburton claims can be submitted through the IR process on a case-by-case basis and will undergo a detailed evaluation of exposure history, medical documentation and other personal records to determine the individual liquidated value. IR submission may be required for certain lung cancer diagnoses and secondary exposure claims.

The trust is currently accepting claims to compensate asbestos victims with payment amounts determined by factors such as age, diagnosis, exposure history and the law firm’s settlement history. Anyone exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured or distributed by a Halliburton entity who believes they may qualify for compensation can learn how a mesothelioma lawyer can help.

Halliburton Company Asbestos Products

Halliburton Company’s asbestos products are the result of its acquisitions of Brown & Root Inc. and Dresser Industries. The companies are now known as DII Industries, LLC and Kellogg Brown & Root.

The Halliburton subsidiaries used asbestos in their products to increase resistance to heat and fire and increase durability and insulation properties. For example, Dresser and its acquisition, Harbison-Walker, used asbestos in their bricks and pipe coatings. Harbison-Walker produced asbestos-containing products from the 1900s into the 1970s. It has been alleged the companies were aware of the dangers of asbestos but continued to use the additive in their production as a cost-saving measure.

Halliburton Company Products Containing Asbestos Include:

Pumps

• Worthington Horizontal Single Air and Steam Heating Vacuum “AE” and “AF” Pumps
• Worthington Monobloc Centrifugal Pump and “DE” Monobloc Pump
• Worthington Split Case Centrifugal Horizontal Single Stage Volute Pump Types “R”, “L” and “U”
• Worthington Horizontal Duplex Piston Pattern Steam Pump “VA” and “VC” Pumps
• Worthington General Purpose “CF” Model Pump
• Dresser Pumps
• Ingersoll-Dresser Pumps
• Pacific Steam Turbopumps (used on passenger ships)

Compressors

• Clark Compressors
• Roots Compressors
• Worthington Compressors
• Dresser-Rand Compressors
• LeRoi Compressors

Turbines

• Moore Turbines
• Worthington Turbines
• Worthington-Moore Turbines
• Dresser-Rand Steam Turbines

Drilling Muds

• IMCO Drilling Mud Styles: – Best, Diaseal M, Flosal, Shurlift, Super Best, Super Visbestos, Univis, Visbestos
• Magcobar/Dresser Drilling Mud Styles: – Diaseal M, Flosal, Olifaze, Visbestos, Visquick
• Baroid Drilling Mud Styles: – Diaseal M, Flosal, Visbestos, Super Visbestos

Miscellaneous Products

• Alco Locomotives
• Bay State Abrasive Products
• Kellogg Brown & Root
• Mason Standard Reducing Valves
• Mid-Valley

Asbestos-containing products produced by Halliburton Company and its subsidiaries were used throughout the oil industry, but also could be found on ships, locomotives and for other uses.

Halliburton Company and Occupational Exposure

Halliburton Company asbestos products were used widely throughout many industries. Those who experience repeated long-term asbestos exposure, like on certain jobsites, are most at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Occupational asbestos exposure is the most common cause of mesothelioma and other diseases and continues to impact many former Halliburton Company employees.

In addition to Halliburton Company employees, anyone who came in contact with its asbestos products through work may have been exposed, including shipyard workers and train workers.

Asbestos Litigation Against Halliburton Company

Halliburton Company’s asbestos litigation began in the 1970s, but reached a boiling point in the early 2000s. The first asbestos lawsuit was filed against the company in 1976 and was the beginning of decades of asbestos-related costs. Between 1976 and the early 2000s, Halliburton was named in more than 474,000 asbestos claims. The company has reported paying $900 million in asbestos settlements between 2002 and 2004.

In addition to the costs related to asbestos victim compensation, the Halliburton Company faced a drastic drop in stock prices as a result of the asbestos claims. In 2001, Halliburton stock dropped more than 40% in just one day. This loss in revenue, coupled with the vast amounts paid to compensate victims, was problematic.