Roberto's Backhoe Service, Inc.

Roberto's Backhoe Service, Inc. is a dirt contractor and site preparation company based at 1201 N. Highway 385 in McCamey, Texas. Roberto Navarrete started the business in 1980, and it has been based and operated out of West Texas since. Services span bulldozing, dirt work, backhoe service, excavation, road construction, pea gravel hauling and site preparation, along with grading equipment and belly dump rentals. The company serves Midland, Odessa, Fort Stockton and the entire Permian Basin, working for oilfield operators as well as residential, commercial and industrial clients.

Site preparation and excavation

Building locations for oilfield clients is the company's stated specialty, covering Midland, Odessa, Fort Stockton and the wider Permian Basin. Crews also take on road construction and repair, right-of-way clearing, fencing and land clearing. Bulldozer and backhoe work covers grading and clearing on ground with drainage issues, unwanted trees or uneven terrain.

Excavation work covers the steps involved in getting raw land ready to build on:

• Clearing shrubs, sticks, leaves, rocks and other vegetation
• Topsoil removal
• Leveling and smoothing soil, also described as land grading
• Removing old buildings, sheds and other unwanted structures
• Hauling off excess dirt and debris

Belly dump rentals

Belly dump trailers are rented out for hauling and spreading bulk material including gravel, sand, crushed stone, caliche and aggregate. The trailers discharge through bottom-opening gates, which allows material to be released while the unit is moving or stationary, described by the company as a way to control placement and reduce unloading time.

Typical applications listed for the trailers:

• Road construction, placing aggregate on roadway and highway projects
• Oilfield operations, moving bulk material for lease roads and pads
• Site preparation, unloading fill dirt, gravel or base material
• Commercial development, hauling to support grading and foundation work
• Municipal and utility infrastructure projects

Operators and customers

Field work runs under dirt construction foreman Leroy Salinas, who has been with the company since 1982, alongside dozer operator Eulalio "Lalo" Alvarez. The company states that it relies on experienced operators and that its workforce is among the most qualified in West Texas.

Companies it names as having worked for include:

• Chevron Corporation
• ConocoPhillips Co.
• Marathon Oil Corporation
• Occidental Permian LTD
• Shell Pipeline Corporation
• Devon Energy
• Kinder Morgan
• Concho Resources Inc.
• Chesapeake Operating Inc.
• Summit Petroleum Co.
• Southern Union Company