POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO
PRER14A, 1998-12-09
OIL & GAS FIELD SERVICES, NEC
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                            SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
                  PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934




Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [ ]
Check the appropriate box:
[X] Preliminary Proxy Statement
[ ] Confidential,  for  Use  of  the  Commission  Only  (as  permitted  by Rule
    14a-6(e)(2))
[ ] Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ] Definitive Additional Materials
[ ] Soliciting  Material  Pursuant  to  (section)   240.14a-11(c)  or  (section)
    240.14a-12

                            POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                            POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
[X] No filing fee required.
[ ] Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.

    1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
       ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
       ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
       to Exchange Act Rule 0-11.
       ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
       ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5) Total fee paid:
       ------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ ]  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
[ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange  Act Rule
    0-11(a)(2)  and  identify the filing for which the  offsetting  fee was paid
    previously.  Identify the previous filing by registration  statement number,
    or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

    1) Amount Previously Paid:
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3) Filing Party:
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4) Date Filed:
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------


<PAGE>



                    PRELIMINARY COPY -- SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
                             DATED DECEMBER 9, 1998
                      [POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO. LETTERHEAD]
                                        December __, 1998

Dear Shareholders:

     We are  writing  to you  about the  continued  takeover  tactics  by Nabors
Industries Inc. in its effort to buy Pool Energy Services Co at a bargain price.
Nabors has already started a creeping acquisition by purchasing over 10% of your
Company in the open market without  paying any premium.  Now Nabors is resorting
to another takeover tactic by calling a Special Meeting of shareholders of Pool.

     At the Special Meeting,  Nabors will propose that the shareholders  adopt a
non-binding  resolution  recommending  that Pool's Board arrange for the sale of
Pool and take all necessary actions to effect such sale, including,  among other
things,  entering into merger  negotiations  with Nabors and any other qualified
bidder offering a higher price per share than Nabors.

     Nabors knows that even if the resolution passes, your Board of Directors is
not  required  to take any  action  whatsoever  with  respect to the sale of the
Company.  Given  this,  your Board  believes  that Nabors has called the Special
Meeting as a tactic  designed  to  disrupt  the  Company  and  distract  it from
implementing its strategic plan.

     For the reasons set forth in this Proxy Statement, your Board believes that
the  Nabors  resolution  is not in the  best  interests  of the  Company  or its
shareholders,  particularly  at this time with  depressed  prices  for  oilfield
service companies. The Board recommends that you reject the Nabors resolution by
voting AGAINST such proposal on the enclosed GOLD proxy card.

     Your Board asks you to  consider  carefully  the matters  discussed  in the
accompanying  proxy  materials  and  our  letter  dated  November  27,  1998  in
evaluating the Nabors resolution.

     To vote your proxy in opposition to the Nabors resolution, mark, sign, date
and return the enclosed GOLD proxy card as soon as possible. Please help us send
a strong message to Nabors to stop its disruptive  takeover tactics.  Your Board
unanimously  believes Nabors is not acting in the best interests of all the Pool
shareholders.  WE URGE  YOU NOT TO SIGN ANY  PROXY  CARD  YOU MAY  RECEIVE  FROM
NABORS.

     We  believe  our  Company's  prospects  are  excellent  and think  that our
shareholders,  not Nabors, should be the beneficiaries as our industry recovers.
It would not be prudent  or  responsible  for our Board to let  Nabors  reap the
benefits  that  rightly  belong to each of you.  We  appreciate  your  continued
support and interest in the affairs of the Company.

                                                Sincerely,

                                                [sig]

                                                J.T. Jongebloed
                                                Chairman, President
                                                and Chief Executive Officer




- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any  questions  or need  assistance  in voting your GOLD proxy card,
please contact:

                                   MACKENZIE
                                 PARTNERS, INC.
                                156 Fifth Avenue
                            New York, New York 10010
           CALL TOLL-FREE (800) 322-2885 OR (212) 929-5500 (COLLECT)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>

        PRELIMINARY COPY--SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED DECEMBER 9, 1998


[LOGO OF POOL]               POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.
                              10375 RICHMOND AVENUE
                              HOUSTON, TEXAS 77042

                                 SPECIAL MEETING
                             OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF
                            POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.
                         TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 12, 1999

                  PROXY STATEMENT BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
                            POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.

                                      *****


                             YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
             PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE GOLD PROXY CARD
                      IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE

                                     *****


     This proxy statement  ("Proxy  Statement") and the accompanying  GOLD proxy
card are being  furnished by the Board of Directors of Pool Energy Services Co.,
a Texas  corporation  ("Pool"  or the  "Company"),  to the  shareholders  of the
Company in connection  with a solicitation  of proxies by the Board of Directors
to be used at the Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company scheduled to be
held at the offices of the Company, 10375 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77042,
on  January  12,  1999 at 9:30 a.m.,  Houston,  Texas  time,  and at any and all
adjournments,  postponements or reschedulings  thereof (the "Special  Meeting").
The  Special  Meeting  was  called  by  Nabors  Industries,   Inc.,  a  Delaware
corporation ("Nabors"), and one of its subsidiaries.  THIS PROXY STATEMENT IS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY NABORS.

     At  the  Special  Meeting,   Nabors  intends  to  introduce  a  non-binding
resolution  (the  "Nabors  Resolution")  requesting  that the  Company  take all
necessary action to arrange for the sale of the Company, including entering into
good  faith  merger  negotiations  with  Nabors and any other  qualified  bidder
offering  a higher  price per share than  Nabors,  redeeming  the  common  stock
purchase  rights of the  Company,  and taking all actions to approve the sale of
the Company under the Texas Business Corporation Act ("TBCA"), including without
limitation  Article  13.03 of the TBCA.  See  "Reasons  for  Opposing the Nabors
Resolution."

     FOR THE REASONS SET FORTH IN THIS PROXY  STATEMENT,  THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE COMPANY (THE "BOARD")  BELIEVES THAT THE NABORS  RESOLUTION IS NOT IN THE
BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMPANY OR ITS SHAREHOLDERS. THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU
REJECT  THE  NABORS  RESOLUTION  BY VOTING  THE GOLD  PROXY  CARD  AGAINST  SUCH
PROPOSAL.

     WE ASK  THAT  YOU NOT  RETURN  THE  NABORS  BLUE  PROXY  CARD.  Even if you
previously signed and returned a blue proxy card sent to you by Nabors, you have
every right to change your vote.  You may revoke your previous proxy at any time
before it is exercised  (i) by executing a proxy  bearing a later date;  (ii) by
filing with the  Secretary of the Company an  instrument  revoking it before the
day of the Special Meeting; or (iii) by attending the Special Meeting and voting
in person. Please complete,  sign, date and mail the enclosed GOLD proxy card in
the postage-paid envelope provided. EVERY SHARE COUNTS AND YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION
IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE RETURN THE GOLD PROXY CARD TODAY.

     This Proxy  Statement and the GOLD proxy card are first being  furnished to
shareholders of the Company on or about December__, 1998.

     IF YOUR SHARES ARE HELD IN THE NAME OF A BROKER, BANK OR NOMINEE,  ONLY THE
BROKER,  BANK OR  NOMINEE  CAN SIGN A PROXY  CARD AND ONLY UPON  RECEIPT OF YOUR
SPECIFIC  INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO. PLEASE CONTACT THE PERSON  RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR
ACCOUNT AND INSTRUCT HIM OR HER TO VOTE THE GOLD PROXY CARD ON YOUR BEHALF.


                                       1

<PAGE>

     WHETHER  OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE  SPECIAL  MEETING,  PLEASE  READ AND
CAREFULLY  CONSIDER THE  INFORMATION  PRESENTED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT AND VOTE
AGAINST THE NABORS RESOLUTION BY COMPLETING, DATING AND SIGNING THE ACCOMPANYING
GOLD PROXY AND RETURNING IT PROMPTLY TO MACKENZIE PARTNERS, INC. IN THE ENCLOSED
POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.




- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any  questions  or need  assistance  in voting your GOLD proxy card,
please contact:


                                   MACKENZIE
                                 PARTNERS, INC.
                                156 Fifth Avenue
                            New York, New York 10010
           CALL TOLL-FREE (800) 322-2885 OR (212) 929-5500 (COLLECT)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                       2

<PAGE>

                                   BACKGROUND


     In late 1993,  Nabors began  acquiring  shares of the common stock,  no par
value per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock").  In September 1993, Eugene
M.  Isenberg,  Chairman  and Chief  Executive  Officer of Nabors,  and two other
directors of Nabors had dinner with James T.  Jongebloed and Ernest J. Spillard,
both executive  officers of the Company.  Nabors'  representatives  expressed an
interest in pursuing  joint  purchasing or other  arrangements  that could be of
mutual  benefit.  No specific  proposals were discussed and no specific  further
actions resulted from that meeting.

     In early 1994,  the Company  developed  a  strategic  plan (the  "Strategic
Plan") designed to further strengthen its competitive  position and market share
in the  oilfield  services  industry  in order to  achieve  growth in  revenues,
earnings and EBITDA (earnings (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation
and amortization,  and minority interest).  Key components of the plan included:
(i) pursuing  expansion  opportunities  in existing  core market  areas  through
acquisitions  that result in  consolidation  cost  savings;  (ii)  upgrading and
enhancing  the  capabilities  of  the  Company's   existing  fleet  and  certain
specialized rig equipment to operate in markets with high levels of activity and
strong  pricing  fundamentals;  (iii)  entering  new foreign  markets that offer
significant  development and production  activity;  and (iv) offering additional
services and equipment that complement the Company's  businesses in its existing
locations.  The Strategic  Plan was adopted by the Board on May 5, 1994 when the
closing price of the Company's Common Stock was $7.25.

     During  April 1994,  Mr.  Isenberg  telephoned  Mr.  Jongebloed  to inquire
whether he had any interest in another dinner meeting to examine alternatives of
working together for the mutual benefit of each company's  shareholders,  but no
further  discussions  took place at that time. On May 26, 1994,  Nabors reported
that  it  had  acquired  867,500  shares  of  Common  Stock  (then  constituting
approximately  6.4% of the  outstanding  shares).  On June 8, 1994,  the Company
announced that it had adopted its  shareholder  rights  agreement.  Later in the
summer of 1994, Mr.  Isenberg and two other  representatives  of Nabors met with
Mr.  Jongebloed  and the Company's  investment  advisors to discuss  whether the
Company  had any  interest  in  pursuing  a  merger,  joint  venture,  or  other
combination.  Mr. Jongebloed  indicated that the Company was of the opinion that
its shareholders  would be better served by the  implementation of the Strategic
Plan.

     Since the adoption of the  Strategic  Plan,  the Company has  implemented a
number of key initiatives.  These include  acquiring  additional  well-servicing
operations,  principally in  California,  West Texas,  and the Rocky  Mountains;
acquiring full ownership of the operation in Alaska in which Pool had previously
been a minority  partner;  increasing  the  Company's  participation  in foreign
markets;  and  acquiring a company  that  operates a fleet of  offshore  support
vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.  The Company also enhanced its rig fleet through,
among other  things,  the  construction  of new rigs and the major  upgrading of
others.  During  this  period,  the  Company's  revenues,  EBITDA  and  earnings
increased  substantially,  and the Board  believes  that the market price of the
Common Stock  reflected  this improved  financial  performance,  peaking at over
$40.00 per share on October 9, 1997.

     Since October 1997,  oil prices,  which are the  predominant  driver of the
Company's  business  activity level, have declined more than 45%. Oil prices are
now at low levels not seen in over ten years.  As a result,  the Board  believes
that the prices for the stocks of many oilfield  services  companies,  including
the Company, are significantly depressed. 


     In the summer of 1998,  after  declining oil prices had begun to materially
affect the price of the Common Stock, Nabors approached an investment banker for
the Company regarding a possible  combination of the Company and Nabors.  Nabors
was told that the Company's  management was not open to pursuing  discussions at
that  time,  particularly  in view of the then low  market  price for the Common
Stock.

                                       3

<PAGE>

    On  October 12, 1998, Mr. Isenberg sent the following letter to the Board of
the Company (the "October 12th Letter"):

                                        October 12, 1998

                                                                    CONFIDENTIAL

    The Board of Directors of
    Pool Energy Services Co.
    10375 Richmond Avenue
    Houston, Texas 77042

    Dear Mr. Jongebloed:

      We recently raised with your outside advisor the potential benefits to our
    respective stockholders, employees and customers of a combination of our two
    companies.  While  you  have  informed  us that  you  believe  now is not an
    appropriate time for a combination,  we believe that the current environment
    causes the combination to make eminent business sense for both companies.

      The  strategic  direction of both Pool and Nabors is  complementary.  Each
    company operates  drilling and workover  platform rigs in the Gulf of Mexico
    and  internationally  as well as land  drilling  operations  in  Alaska  and
    internationally,  including Saudi Arabia. A combination of the two companies
    can lead to  economies  of scale  that  offer the  prospect  of  significant
    purchasing,  operating and other  efficiencies.  Nabors'  offshore  presence
    would also offer  significant  opportunities  for  marketing  Pool's Sea Mar
    Fleet.

      In  times of  uncertainty,  stockholders,  employees  and  customers  will
    benefit from a larger, stronger and better-capitalized company. I think most
    industry  observers would also agree with this premise.  For this reason, we
    propose  putting  our  two  companies  together  and  believe  that  such  a
    combination is in the best interest of the stockholders of both companies.

      We would like to submit to your Board a merger proposal under which Nabors
    would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pool at a price of $12.50 per
    share.  This  consideration  would  be  payable  at least  51% in stock  (to
    preserve  tax free  treatment)  and the  remainder in cash.  This  structure
    offers those  stockholders  interested in retaining a long-term position the
    prospect of  participating  in future upside  prospects  that are materially
    enhanced as a result of the transaction and of growth with the benefit of an
    over 50 percent premium. At the same time,  stockholders  electing cash will
    recognize an immediate substantial premium over current market.

      Your management team has clearly been a major contributor to the Company's
    success.  We believe that there will be continuing  roles for key management
    that will offer greater  responsibilities and increased opportunities in the
    context of a substantially larger company.

      While we know  your  business  well,  our  proposal  is  based  on  public
    information.  If you can  demonstrate  additional  value,  we would consider
    offering a higher price.

      Nabors' Board of Directors  has  unanimously  approved our  proposal.  Our
    financial  advisors  and bank  lenders  have  assured us that  financing  is
    available to meet all  transaction  requirements.  Our legal advisors and we
    have also  carefully  studied any  potential  antitrust  issues  raised by a
    combination  of our two  companies,  and we are confident that any necessary
    approvals for the transaction can be obtained  without any undue delay.  Our
    proposal  is  of  course  subject  to  negotiation  of a  definitive  merger
    agreement  containing  customary  terms and  conditions.  We are prepared to
    immediately commence negotiating a definitive  acquisition agreement between
    our companies and to consummate the agreement in an expeditious manner.

                                       4

<PAGE>

      My intent in sending this letter is to provide you with information  about
    our  contemplated  proposal and to express our desire to work  together with
    you to structure a transaction  acceptable to your Board.  We do not believe
    this letter requires you to make any public  disclosure and we do not intend
    to make it public at this  time.  We would hope that at this point you would
    be prepared  immediately to commence  discussions  on a  confidential  basis
    between us.

      We would like to meet with you and your  representatives  to  discuss  our
    proposal and to answer any questions  that you may have.  Please  contact my
    office  (281-775-8077)  to let me know  when we can get  together.  We would
    appreciate  receiving  your views as to our  contemplated  proposal no later
    than October 23, 1998.

                                        Sincerely,


                                        /s/ Eugene M. Isenberg
                                        Eugene M. Isenberg
                                        Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


     On October 12,  1998,  Mr.  Jongebloed  shared the October 12th Letter with
other members of management,  as well as with the Company's  legal and financial
advisors.  A meeting of the Board was held on October 19,  1998 to consider  the
October 12th Letter. At that meeting,  the Board,  among other things,  reviewed
the October 12th Letter, heard presentations as to fiduciary responsibilities of
the Board in considering acquisition proposals, such as the one set forth in the
October  12th  Letter,  and were  advised  as to the work that  would need to be
performed by the Company's  advisors to assist the Board in its consideration of
the  proposal  made by Nabors  and the  various  alternatives  available  to the
Company.

     At that time, the Board  concluded  that,  given the values inherent in the
Company's  business and the long-term  strategies  being  implemented to improve
shareholder  value,  the Nabors  proposal  was not in the best  interests of the
Company and its  shareholders.  In  particular,  the Board  determined  that the
Company's  strategic  initiatives  as well  as the  long-term  interests  of the
Company and its shareholders would be best served by the continued  independence
of the Company.

     As  a result, on October 26, 1998, Mr. Jongebloed sent the following letter
to Mr. Isenberg:

                                                   October 26, 1998

    CONFIDENTIAL

    Mr. Eugene M. Isenberg
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
    Nabors Industries, Inc.
    515 West Greens Road, Suite 1200
    Houston, Texas 77067-4525

    Dear Mr. Isenberg:

      My fellow directors and I have carefully  considered your October 12, 1998
    letter,  and I have been instructed by our Board to tell you that we are not
    interested in pursuing the discussions  with your company  suggested in that
    letter. We want you to know that this decision is unanimous and unequivocal.


      As you may know, our Company is committed to the implementation of its own
    strategic  plan,  which is designed to capitalize on  opportunities  for the
    Company and to increase  shareholder  values over the long term.  We believe
    the  results  of these  efforts  to date have been  impressive.  But for the
    current  unexpected  downturn  in our  industry,  which is the worst in many
    years,  we believe  our stock  price  would  better  reflect the efforts and
    achievements of our Board and management.


                                       5

<PAGE>


      We regard your letter as an expression  of confidence in our Company,  and
    we are happy that you share our views  concerning  our  Company's  excellent
    prospects.


      You and your company have our best wishes.

                                        Yours very truly,

                                        /s/ J.T. Jongebloed

                                        J.T. Jongebloed



On October 28,  1998,  Nabors  sent the  following  letter to the  Company  (the
"October 28th Letter"):

                                                   October 28, 1998

                                                                    CONFIDENTIAL

    The Board of Directors of
    Pool Energy Services Co.
    10375 Richmond Avenue
    Houston, Texas 77042

    Dear Mr. Jongebloed:

      On October 12, 1998, I wrote to you proposing a combination  of Nabors and
    Pool in which Nabors would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pool for
    consideration  consisting of 51% Nabors stock and 49% cash,  with an implied
    value at that date of $12.50 per Pool share.  This offer  represented  a 77%
    premium to Pool's closing stock price of $7.06 per share on October 9, 1998,
    the last trading day prior to our proposal. On October 26, 1998, we received
    a  letter  from  you  stating  that  Pool  was not  interested  in  pursuing
    discussions  with  Nabors.  In view of the  superior  value  inherent in our
    proposal,  we were  surprised  that  your  Board  of  Directors  could  have
    concluded unanimously and unequivocally not to discuss our proposal. Had our
    proposal been accepted on October 12, your shareholders  would have received
    consideration  with a  blended  value  today of $14.72  based on the  ratios
    implied by our offer price of $12.50 and Nabors'  closing price on October 9
    of $13.25. We continue to believe that a business combination based on these
    values is in the best interests of Pool and its shareholders.

      In your letter,  you refer to Pool's  commitment to the  implementation of
    its own strategic plan, which is designed to increase shareholder value over
    the  long-term.  We are  convinced  that this  plan  cannot  outperform  the
    benefits of a combination of Pool and Nabors given the high fragmentation of
    our  industry,  the  economies  of scale which will be realized  through the
    combination and the enhanced capital structure of the combined entities.  As
    a result,  we believe that a combination  of our companies will maximize the
    long-term value to be realized by your shareholders.

      Given  the  strong  benefits  of a  combination  of Pool  and  Nabors,  we
    encourage  you to  reevaluate  our  proposal to enter into a merger in which
    Nabors would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pool for consideration
    equal to 0.481 Nabors  shares and $6.125 in cash for each  outstanding  Pool
    share. As stated above,  this offer implies a value of $14.72 per Pool share
    based on Nabors' closing stock price on October 27, 1998. In addition, as we
    indicated  in our letter of  October  12,  our  proposal  is based on public
    information and, if you can demonstrate  additional value, we would consider
    offering a higher price.

      We are hopeful that Pool's  management  and Board of Directors want to act
    in the best interests of the company's shareholders.  We also firmly believe
    that your shareholders  would welcome our proposal,  and we are committed to
    affording them the opportunity to do so. Based on the unusually high trading
    volume in Pool's shares  subsequent to our October 12 letter,  it is in both
    our  interests to discuss this matter  quickly.  I will call you tomorrow to
    discuss our proposal.

                                       6

<PAGE>

                                        Sincerely,

                                        /s/ Eugene M. Isenberg

                                        Eugene M. Isenberg
                                        Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

     Mr.  Isenberg called Mr. Jongebloed on October 29, 1998, but Mr. Jongebloed
was  unable  to  return  the  call that day. The next morning, October 30, 1998,
Nabors  issued  a  press  release setting forth, among other things, the text of
all prior correspondence and announcing the merger proposal.



     On October 30, 1998, the Company sent the following letter to Nabors:

                                        October 30, 1998

    Mr. Eugene M. Isenberg
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
    Nabors Industries, Inc.
    515 West Greens Road, Suite 1200
    Houston, Texas 77067-4525

    Dear Mr. Isenberg:

      As I told you in my  October  26  letter to you,  our  Board of  Directors
    carefully  considered your October 12, 1998 letter and instructed me to tell
    you that we are not interested in pursuing the discussions with your company
    suggested in that letter.  As I also said,  this  decision was unanimous and
    unequivocal.

      As you know,  our Company is  committed to the  implementation  of its own
    strategic  plan,  which is designed to capitalize on  opportunities  for the
    Company and to increase  shareholder  values over the long term.  We believe
    the  results  of these  efforts  to date have been  impressive.  But for the
    current  unexpected  downturn  in our  industry,  which is the worst in many
    years,  we believe  our stock  price  would  better  reflect the efforts and
    achievements of our Board and management.


      It is not  surprising  that you share our views  concerning  our Company's
    excellent  prospects,  but our  shareholders  -- not  yours -- should be the
    beneficiaries  of our  efforts  as our  industry  recovers.  It would not be
    prudent or  responsible  for our Board to let others reap the benefits  that
    rightly belong to our shareholders.

                                        Yours very truly,

                                        /s/ J.T. Jongebloed

                                        J.T. Jongebloed

     Contrary to Nabors'  assertions that management of Pool has refused to meet
with Nabors' representatives, representatives of Pool agreed to meet with Nabors
on or about November 13, 1998, to hear what Nabors had to say, on the assumption
that Nabors would agree to abandon its efforts to disqualify  Pool's  counsel on
what  Pool  perceived  to be a  trivial  basis.  Nabors  refused  to  waive  the
disqualification, and Pool was forced to engage new counsel.

     On November 16, 1998, the Company engaged Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
("Morgan  Stanley")  as its  financial  advisor to assist the Company in,  among
other things, the evaluation and further implementation of its growth strategies
with the intent of maximizing long-term shareholder value.

     On  November  17,  1998,  a  representative  of  Morgan  Stanley  advised a
representative  of Nabors'  investment banker that Morgan Stanley and Pool's new
counsel  needed  time  to  familiarize   themselves   with  the  Company  before
considering  scheduling any meeting  between  representatives  of Nabors and the
Company. 


                                       7

<PAGE>


     On November 23, 1998, Nabors filed preliminary proxy materials  relating to
its request for a Special  Meeting to consider  the Nabors  Resolution.  Also on
that date,  Nabors,  together  with one of its  subsidiaries,  delivered  to the
Company a notice calling for the Special  Meeting and requested that the Company
provide,  among other things,  copies of the Company's  stockholder lists, daily
transfer lists,  names of non-objecting  beneficial  owners, and all minutes and
other  records  of  meetings  and  proceedings  of the Board and each  committee
thereof.  The Company  intends to deliver to Nabors the  requested  documents to
which Nabors is entitled under applicable law.

     On November 23, 1998,  after Nabors' filing and a concurrent press release,
the  Company  issued a press  release  acknowledging  receipt of Nabors'  notice
calling for the Special Meeting. In that press release, Mr. Jongebloed expressed
his  opinion of the  calling of the  Special  Meeting in the  context of Nabors'
specific acquisition proposal that the Board had previously rejected.

The text of that press release is as set forth below:

       HOUSTON,  November  23, 1998 -- Pool Energy  Services  Co.  (NASDAQ:PESC)
   today acknowledged  receipt of a notice by Nabors Industries,  Inc. (ASE:NBR)
   calling for a Special  Meeting of Shareholders of the Company in January 1999
   "to consider and vote upon a non-binding  resolution -- recommending the sale
   of the Company." James Jongeloed, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the
   Company,  responded by saying. "This is another transparent attempt by Nabors
   to pressure  Pool's Board into  approving a fire sale of the Company when the
   oil industry is at a cyclical low and Pool is strongly positioned to optimize
   value to shareholders as the industry recovers."

       Pool  said  it is  committed  to the  implementation  of its  own  growth
   strategies and the maximization of shareholder value. In this connection, the
   Company announced that last week it had engaged Morgan Stanley Dean Witter to
   assist  it in  the  evaluation  and  further  implementation  of  its  growth
   strategies with the intent of maximizing long term shareholder value.

       Pool Energy  Services  Co.,  headquartered  in Houston,  is a diversified
   energy  services  company  principally  engaged in providing  well-servicing,
   workover and drilling  services and related  transportation  services on land
   and offshore in the U.S. and selected international markets.

     On December 2, 1998,  the Board fixed  December 9, 1998, as the record date
for  shareholders  entitled  to vote at the  Special  Meeting  and  amended  the
Company's Bylaws to eliminate the automatic reduction in the number of directors
upon the  resignation,  death or  disability  of a director.  As a result of the
amendment,  any vacancy  created by a director's  failure to complete his or her
term may be filled by a majority of the remaining  directors by the  appointment
of a successor to serve for the balance of the unexpired term of the predecessor
director.

     The  Board's  position  has been very clear for some time.  On October  26,
1998,  the Board  unanimously  and  unequivocally  communicated  its decision to
Nabors that it was not  interested in pursuing the  discussions  that Nabors had
suggested.

                             THE NABORS RESOLUTION


     At the Special  Meeting,  Nabors has stated that it will  propose  that the
shareholders of the Company adopt the Nabors Resolution, which reads as follows:

       RESOLVED,  that  the  shareholders  of  Pool  Energy  Services  Co.  (the
   "Company")  strongly  recommend  that the Board of  Directors  of the Company
   arrange for the sale of the Company and take all necessary  actions to effect
   such sale, including, without limitation, (i) entering into good faith merger
   negotiations with Nabors Industries,  Inc. ("Nabors") and any other qualified
   bidder for the Company  offering a higher  price per share of Company  common
   stock than Nabors,  (ii)  redeeming the common stock  purchase  rights of the
   Company granted pursuant to the Rights  Agreement,  dated as of June 7, 1994,
   between the Company and the First  National  Bank of Boston and (iii)  taking
   all action to approve the sale of the Company

                                       8

<PAGE>

   under the Texas Business  Corporation  Act (the "TBCA"),  including,  without
   limitation,  Article  13.03  of the  TBCA;  it  being  understood  that  this
   resolution is admonitory  only and that the Board of Directors of the Company
   must exercise its business judgment in fulfillment of its fiduciary duties to
   the shareholders of the Company.


                   REASONS FOR OPPOSING THE NABORS RESOLUTION

     The Board believes that the Nabors Resolution  represents nothing more than
a  takeover  tactic in its  attempt to  acquire  the  Company in a trough of the
business  cycle for  oilfield  service  companies  when the market  price of the
Common  Stock does not, in the opinion of the Board,  appropriately  reflect the
inherent value of the Company. Oil prices are at low levels not seen in over ten
years.  Consequently,  rig counts in the U.S.  are also at  cyclical  lows.  The
prices of many oilfield service companies, including the Company's Common Stock,
are therefore severely depressed. The Board believes that Nabors has chosen this
opportune time (from a buyer's perspective) to put pressure on the Board to sell
the Company.

     Although  Nabors'  acquisition  proposal does  represent a premium over the
$11.813  closing price of the Common Stock on October 29, 1998 (the last trading
day immediately  prior to Nabors'  October 30, 1998 press release),  the implied
value of Nabors' proposal as of that date is actually a discount of 48% from the
$27.750  closing  price of the  Common  Stock on April 20,  1998  (which was the
highest  closing  price for the Common  Stock thus far during  1998),  less than
eight months ago.  While  between  October 9, 1997 and October 9, 1998 (the last
trading  day before  Nabors'  October  12th  Letter)  the  closing  price of the
Company's  Common  Stock fell 83% from $40.625 to $7.063,  the closing  price of
Nabors stock dropped 72% from $46.563 to $13.25.

     The Board of Directors  believes that takeover  tactics like those employed
by Nabors in its  letters  to the  Company,  its  press  releases  and its proxy
soliciting  materials  are  inherently   disruptive  and  force  the  Board  and
management  of the  Company to spend time and  resources  in  response  to those
tactics  which could be devoted  more  profitably  for the  shareholders  of the
Company to the operation of the Company's  business and the pursuit of the goals
of the Strategic Plan.  Further,  the Board believes that the Company will incur
substantial professional, printing, proxy solicitation and other direct costs in
responding to Nabors'  proposals and the Nabors Resolution and in conducting the
Special  Meeting  at a time in the  oil  service  industry  when  the  Company's
resources  should be used  gainfully  rather than on unnecessary  expenses.  The
Board also  believes  that  adoption of the Nabors  Resolution  would  encourage
Nabors to continue  its tactics,  which would  result in continued  distractions
from the Company's  business  objectives and an increase in related costs. Based
on the foregoing, the Board opposes the Nabors Resolution.

POOL'S GROWTH STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE SHAREHOLDER VALUE

     The  Company  developed  its  Strategic  Plan  to  further  strengthen  its
competitive position and market share in the oilfield services industry in order
to achieve  growth in revenues,  EBITDA,  and  earnings.  Key  components of the
Strategic Plan included:

   o pursuing  expansion  opportunities  in existing  core market areas  through
     acquisitions that result in consolidation cost savings;


   o upgrading and enhancing the  capabilities  of the Company's  existing fleet
     and  certain  specialized  rig  equipment  to operate in markets  with high
     levels of activity and strong pricing fundamentals;

   o entering  new  foreign  markets  that  offer  significant development and
     production activity; and


   o offering  additional  services and equipment that  complement the Company's
     businesses in its existing locations.

     The Board  believes that the Company has made  significant  progress in the
implementation of its growth strategies.  Between June 1, 1994 and September 30,
1998, the Company:

   o acquired   additional  land   well-servicing   operations   principally  in
     California,  West Texas and the Rocky  Mountains,  including 289 rigs,  128
     oilfield trucks,  430 fluid storage tanks, six brine and disposal wells and
     seven coiled tubing units, at an aggregate cost of $74 million;


                                       9

<PAGE>



   o acquired  full  ownership of the  operations in Alaska in which the Company
     had previously held a minority interest for $12 million;

   o expanded  and  enhanced  its rig fleet in  Alaska,  the Gulf of Mexico  and
     offshore California through constructing,  upgrading and/or acquiring three
     land drilling  rigs, two platform  drilling rigs, one jack-up  workover rig
     and one platform workover rig, at an aggregate cost of $73 million;

   o increased the  participation  of the Company and its  affiliates in foreign
     markets, including Australia, Argentina, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, through
     various  acquisitions  and other  investments,  at an aggregate cost of $53
     million; and

   o acquired a company that operates a fleet of 23 offshore  support vessels in
     the Gulf of Mexico for $76 million in cash and 1.5 million shares of Common
     Stock.

     The Board  believes  that the following  tables  confirm that the Company's
growth  strategies are working,  as evidenced by the growth in Pool's  revenues,
net income and EBITDA for each of the four years ended December 31, 1997 and for
the nine months ended September 30, 1997 and 1998: 



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                               NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                                YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31                           SEPTEMBER 30
                              ----------------------------------------------------------   -------------------------
                                    1994             1995          1996          1997          1997          1998
                              ----------------   -----------   -----------   -----------   -----------   -----------
                                                                  (IN MILLIONS)

<S>                           <C>                <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>
Revenues ..................      $  229.2         $  277.3      $  348.6      $  451.9      $  326.8      $  360.9
Net Income (Loss) .........        ( 12.7)(a)          3.1           9.6          26.7          18.1          20.4
EBITDA(b) .................        (  7.1)(a)         21.9          38.4          71.6          50.2          73.9
</TABLE>



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                            PERCENTAGE INCREASE FROM PERIOD TO PERIOD
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
                                                                                          TO
                               1994 -- 1995     1995 -- 1996     1996 -- 1997     SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                              --------------   --------------   --------------   -------------------
<S>                            <C>              <C>              <C>              <C>
Revenues ..................      21.0%               25.7%            29.7%              10.4%
Net Income (Loss) .........        NA               207.8            176.7               12.6
EBITDA(b) .................        NA                75.1             86.5               47.4
</TABLE>


- ----------


(a) Includes a $23.6  million pre tax ($15.3  million  after tax)  provision for
    leasehold impairment.

(b) EBITDA means earnings (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and
    amortization  and minority  interest.  The Company has included  EBITDA data
    because it is a measure  commonly  used in the  oilfield  service  industry.
    EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance  determined under generally
    accepted accounting  principles,  should not be considered as an alternative
    to net income as a measure of  performance  or to cash flows as a measure of
    liquidity, and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures of
    other companies.

     Since the  adoption of the  Company's  Strategic  Plan on May 5, 1994,  the
closing  price of the  Company's  Common  Stock  rose from  $7.25 to  $40.625 on
October 9, 1997, an increase of approximately 460%.  Subsequently,  the decrease
in the price of oil began to adversely  affect the trading  prices of the Common
Stock as well as the stocks of other oilfield service companies.

     On December 2, 1998,  the Board  considered  the Nabors  Resolution and the
previous correspondence from Nabors and consulted with the Company's management,
and its advisors.  The Board then  concluded that the interests of the Company's
shareholders  are at present best served by the  continued  independence  of the
Company and  reaffirmed its  commitment to enhancing  shareholder  value through
continued  implementation  of the growth  strategies  embodied in the  Strategic
Plan. The Strategic Plan includes expansion of the Company through  acquisitions
that result in  consolidation  cost savings and  economies of scale.  In view of
current  levels  of oil  prices  and  conditions  in the  oil  service  industry
generally,  the Board has  requested  that  management  of the  Company  and its
advisors continue to evaluate potential acquisitions,  including acquisitions on
a larger  scale than  those that the  Company  has  effected  thus far under the
Strategic Plan to further enhance shareholder value.


                                       10

<PAGE>


The Board,  however,  has been and will  continue to be willing to evaluate  any
alternative  that  it  believes  delivers  to the  Company's  shareholder  value
superior to that provided by the Company's own growth strategies.


THE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN

     As part of the Nabors  Resolution,  Nabors  proposes that the  shareholders
vote to advise the Board that it should redeem the common stock purchase  rights
(the  "Rights")  granted  pursuant to the Rights  Agreement  dated as of June 7,
1994,  between the Company and the First  National  Bank of Boston (the  "Rights
Plan").  The Board believes such a redemption would not be in the best interests
of the shareholders or the Company.


     The Rights Plan was designed to provide the Board with negotiating leverage
in dealing  with a  potential  acquiror,  to protect  the  Company  from  unfair
takeover tactics, and to prevent an acquiror from gaining control of the Company
without offering a fair price to all shareholders and is not intended to prevent
a takeover on terms  deemed  beneficial  to the  Company's  shareholders  by the
Company's Board.

     The Board  believes  that the Rights  Plan was  appropriately  designed  to
protect the  shareholders  from being forced to receive less than optimal  value
for their  shares of Common  Stock.  The  Rights  Plan was  implemented  to help
protect  shareholders  from acquisition  proposals of the type being advanced by
Nabors.  The Board therefore  believes that redeeming the Rights Plan at present
is not in the best interests of the Company or its shareholders.

     The Company's  Board adopted the Rights Plan on June 7, 1994 and declared a
dividend of one Right for each  outstanding  share of the Company's Common Stock
to  shareholders  of record on June 23,  1994.  The  Rights  will trade with the
Company's  Common  Stock until they become  exercisable.  The Rights will not be
exercisable  until ten  business  days  following a public  announcement  that a
person or group has acquired  beneficial  ownership 15% or more of the Company's
Common Stock or until ten business  days after a person or group begins a tender
offer that would  result in  beneficial  ownership  of 15% of the Common  Stock,
subject to certain extensions by the Board.

     In the event that an acquiror  becomes a 15% holder of the Company's Common
Stock,  the Rights "flip in" and become rights to buy the Company's Common Stock
at a 50% discount,  and Rights owned by that acquiror  become void. In the event
that the Company is merged and its Common Stock is exchanged or converted, or if
50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is sold or transferred, the
Rights  "flip  over" and  entitle  the  holders to buy shares of the  acquiror's
common stock at a 50% discount.

     The  Rights  may  be redeemed by the Company for $.01 per Right at any time
until  ten  business  days  following  the  first  public  announcement  that an
acquiror  has acquired the level of ownership that triggers the plan. The Rights

expire on June 6, 2004.


APPROVING  THE SALE UNDER ARTICLE THIRTEEN OF THE TEXAS BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT


     In the Nabors  Resolution,  Nabors also proposes that the shareholders vote
to advise  the Board  that it should  take all  actions to approve a sale of the
Company under the TBCA, including without limitation, Article 13.03 of the TBCA.
The Board  believes  that Article  Thirteen of the TBCA  provides the  Company's
shareholders  with  important  protections  from takeover  proposals that do not
result  in the  maximization  of  shareholder  value.  Consequently,  the  Board
believes  that this  portion  of the Nabors  Resolution  is also not in the best
interests of the shareholders or the Company.

     In the  opinion  of the  Board,  prior to 1997 the TBCA,  as it  applied to
public  corporations,  failed to address  adequately the protection  afforded to
shareholders of corporations domiciled in Delaware and many other jurisdictions.
Recognizing  this, the Texas  Legislature  adopted Article  Thirteen of the TBCA
which imposes a special voting  requirement for the approval of certain business
combinations  and related party  transactions  between public  corporations  and
affiliated  shareholders.  In  general,  the law  provides,  subject  to certain
exceptions,  for a three-year  moratorium on mergers and share exchanges between
issuing public  corporations like the Company and their affiliated  shareholders
(i.e., persons who are, or 


                                       11

<PAGE>


within the last three years have been, the beneficial  owner of more than 20% of
the  corporation's   then  outstanding   voting  stock)  and  affiliates.   More
particularly,  such  corporations are prohibited,  directly or indirectly,  from
entering  into  or  engaging  in  a  business  combination  with  an  affiliated
shareholder, or any affiliate or associate of the affiliated shareholder, during
the three-year  period  immediately  following the date on which the shareholder
became an affiliated  shareholder (the "share acquisition date") unless: (i) the
combination or the purchase or acquisition of shares is approved by the board of
directors  of  the  corporation  before  the  affiliated   shareholder's   share
acquisition  date; or (ii) the combination is approved by the board of directors
and by the  affirmative  vote  of the  holders  of at  least  two-thirds  of the
outstanding  voting  shares of the  corporation  not  beneficially  owned by the
affiliated   shareholder  (or  an  affiliate  or  associate  of  the  affiliated
shareholder),  at a meeting of  shareholders  (and not by written  consent) duly
called  for  that  purpose  not  less  than  six  months  after  the  affiliated
shareholder's share acquisition date.

     Article 13.06 also provides that in discharging their duties under the TBCA
or otherwise,  the Company's directors, in considering the best interests of the
corporation,  may consider the long-term as well as the short-term  interests of
the  corporation  and its  shareholders,  including the  possibility  that those
interests may be best served by the continued  independence of the  corporation.
Article  Thirteen ensures that the Board may consider  long-term  interests when
evaluating a takeover proposal. In addition,  Article Thirteen does not preclude
the board of directors  from taking other  actions in  accordance  with law, nor
does the board of directors incur liability for elections made or not made under
Article Thirteen's provisions.

INDEPENDENT BOARD

     Other than Mr. Jongebloed, who also serves as Chairman, President and Chief
Executive  Officer of the Company,  the Board believes that the directors of the
Company are outside,  independent  directors whose  compensation as directors is
nominal in relation to both their  responsibilities and to the valuable services
that they perform.  To the extent the directors  own, or have rights to acquire,
shares of Common Stock,  the Board  believes  that they share a common  economic
interest  with the  shareholders  of Pool  generally  (other than Nabors and its
supporters). The Board further believes that all of Pool's outside directors are
both  "independent"  and  "disinterested"  as  defined in the TBCA and that such
persons are seasoned  executives who have proven track records and are committed
to maximizing values for all shareholders.

     The Board has concluded that Nabors'  proposal to acquire Pool on the terms
set forth in Nabors' published letters to the Board is not in the best interests
of all the  Company's  shareholders.  The  independent  directors of the Company
believe  that their  recommendation  against  the Nabors'  acquisition  proposal
should be accorded more weight than Nabors' biased  recommendation in support of
its proposal,  as the Board is convinced that Nabors is primarily  interested in
acquiring Pool at the lowest possible price.

CONSEQUENCES OF ADOPTION OF THE NABORS RESOLUTION

     Since the Nabors  Resolution is non-binding in nature,  its adoption by the
shareholders  of Pool will not obligate the Board to take any specific action in
response  thereto.  Furthermore,  the Board believes that the Nabors  Resolution
only  serves  to  distract  the  Company's   management   from  the  pursuit  of
opportunities under the Strategic Plan to maximize shareholder value. Therefore,
at the present  time,  the Board does not intend to take any specific  action if
the Nabors  Resolution is approved.  The Board also believes that a vote for the
Nabors Resolution, unlike a vote on a definitive merger proposal approved by the
Board, has no effect on the nature of a shareholder's investment in the Company.
Additionally,  if only a majority of the outstanding  shares of Common Stock are
present  and  voting at the  Special  Meeting,  the Nabors  Resolution  could be
approved by the  affirmative  vote of the holders of only 25% of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock plus one share.  Nabors already owns approximately 42% of
the shares  required to achieve  approval of the Nabors  Resolution  under these
circumstances.  In contrast,  Nabors only owns  approximately 17% of the minimum
number of shares required to approve a definitive  merger  agreement under Texas
law.

                                       12


<PAGE>


CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

     THE BOARD OF THE COMPANY RECOMMENDS A VOTE AGAINST THE NABORS RESOLUTION BY
MARKING, DATING, SIGNING AND RETURNING THE GOLD PROXY CARD.


                              THE SPECIAL MEETING

GENERAL

     This Proxy Statement is furnished by the Board of the Company in opposition
to the  solicitation  of  proxies  by  Nabors  in  connection  with  the  Nabors
Resolution. Representatives of Nabors and one of its subsidiaries have scheduled
a Special  Meeting of  Shareholders  of the Company to be held at the offices of
the Company, 10375 Richmond Avenue,  Houston, Texas 77042 on January 12, 1999 at
9:30 a.m., local time. 


PURPOSE

     Nabors has stated that the purposes of the Special  Meeting are to consider
and vote upon the Nabors  Resolution  and to transact such other business as may
properly come before the Special  Meeting.  The Board  believes that under Texas
law and the Company's constituent corporate documents, only matters specifically
referred in the notice of a special  meeting (other than routine  administrative
matters) may be considered at the Special Meeting.

RECORD DATE; SHARES ENTITLED TO VOTE


     Only  holders of record of shares of Common  Stock at the close of business
on December 9, 1998 (the "Record Date") are entitled to notice of and to vote at
the  Special  Meeting  and  at any  adjournment,  postponement  or  rescheduling
thereof.  On the  Record  Date,  there  were  _________  shares of Common  Stock
outstanding.  Such  shares of Common  Stock will each be  entitled  to one vote,
exercisable in person or represented by properly  executed  proxy, on any matter
properly before the Special Meeting. 


QUORUM


     The  bylaws  of the  Company  require  the  holders  of a  majority  of the
outstanding  shares of Common  Stock to be present in person or  represented  by
properly executed proxy for any action to be taken at the Special Meeting, other
than an adjournment  thereof.  For purposes of  determining  whether this quorum
requirement is met, abstentions and broker non-votes received in connection with
properly signed and returned proxies will be counted as present.

REQUIRED VOTE

     Assuming that a quorum is present at the Special  Meeting,  the affirmative
vote of the  holders of a majority of the shares of Common  Stock  voting for or
against or expressly abstaining from voting on the Nabors Resolution is required
to approve that resolution. While broker-non votes will be counted as present at
the  Special  Meeting  for  quorum  purposes,  such votes will not be counted in
determining the total number of shares entitled to vote on the Nabors Resolution
at the Special Meeting,  assuming a quorum is present. Under such circumstances,
broker  non-votes  will have the  practical  effect of  reducing  the  number of
affirmative  votes that Nabors must solicit in order to secure majority approval
of the Nabors Resolution at the Special Meeting.  Abstentions will be considered
present at the  Special  Meeting  for quorum  purposes  and will be counted  for
purposes  of  determining  the total  number of shares  entitled  to vote on the
Nabors Resolution. Accordingly,  abstentions will have the same effect as a vote
against the Nabors  Resolution.  Your broker,  bank or nominee  cannot vote your
shares without  receipt of your specific  instructions  to do so. Please contact
the person responsible for your account and instruct him or her to vote the GOLD
proxy card on your behalf. 


                                       13

<PAGE>

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD


     WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING,  SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD
READ AND CAREFULLY  CONSIDER THE  INFORMATION  PRESENTED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT
AND ANY RELATED  MATERIAL SENT TO YOU BY THE BOARD AND VOTE "AGAINST" THE NABORS
RESOLUTION BY COMPLETING,  DATING AND SIGNING THE  ACCOMPANYING  GOLD PROXY CARD
AND  RETURNING  IT  PROMPTLY  TO  MACKENZIE  PARTNERS,   INC.  IN  THE  ENCLOSED
POSTAGE-PAID  ENVELOPE OR INSTRUCTING YOUR BROKER TO EXECUTE THE GOLD PROXY CARD
ON YOUR BEHALF. 


REVOCABILITY OF PROXIES


     Unless you attend the Special Meeting and vote your shares in person,  only
your latest dated properly  executed proxy for the Special Meeting will count at
the Special  Meeting.  Any proxy given  pursuant to the  solicitation  by either
Nabors or the Board also may be revoked by (i) filing with the  Secretary of the
Company,  before the taking of the vote at the Special Meeting, a written notice
of revocation bearing a later date than the date of the proxy or any later-dated
proxy  relating to the same shares,  or (ii)  attending the Special  Meeting and
voting your shares in person.  Attendance at the Special Meeting will not in and
of itself  constitute a revocation of a proxy. THE BOARD URGES YOU TO REVOKE ANY
BLUE PROXY CARD THAT YOU HAVE DELIVERED TO NABORS OR ITS AGENTS. 


OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING PROXIES

     All  shares  of Common  Stock  represented  by  properly  executed  proxies
received prior to or at the Special  Meeting,  and not duly and timely  revoked,
will be voted in accordance with the instructions  indicated on such proxies. If
no instructions are indicated on a properly  executed  returned GOLD proxy card,
such proxies will be voted AGAINST the Nabors  Resolution.  A properly  executed
proxy marked  "ABSTAIN,"  although  counted for purposes of determining  whether
there is a quorum for purposes of determining the aggregate voting power and the
number of shares represented at the Special Meeting, will not be voted.


     The Board  believes  that the  Nabors  Resolution  is the only  substantive
matter that may be acted upon at the Special Meeting. If, however, other matters
are properly brought before the Special Meeting, including among other things, a
motion to adjourn the meeting to another time and/or place  (including,  without
limitation,  for the  purpose of  soliciting  additional  proxies),  the persons
appointed as proxies will have  discretion  to vote or act thereon  according to
their judgment. If the Special Meeting is postponed or adjourned for any reason,
at any subsequent  reconvening of the Special  Meeting all proxies will be voted
on such matters in the same manner as such proxies  would have been voted at the
original  convening  of the Special  Meeting  (except for any proxies  that have
theretofore  effectively been revoked or withdrawn),  notwithstanding  that such
proxies  may have been  effectively  voted in the same or any other  manner at a
previous meeting. 


DISSENTERS' RIGHTS


     Shareholders will not be entitled to dissenters' rights under the TBCA with
respect to the proposal to adopt the Nabors Resolution.

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING POOL AND ITS DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS


POOL


     The Company,  headquartered  in Houston,  is a diversified  energy services
company principally engaged in providing  well-servicing,  workover and drilling
services and related transportation services on land and offshore in the U.S.
and selected international markets.


     As of September 30, 1998,  the Company's  worldwide rig fleet  included 786
land  well-servicing/workover  rigs,  29 land drilling rigs and 27 offshore rigs
(14 platform workover rigs, 6 platform drilling rigs and 7 jack-up rigs). In the
United  States,  the Company  operates in several oil and natural gas  producing
states,  with  specific  concentration  onshore  in Texas,  California,  Alaska,
Oklahoma,

                                       14

<PAGE>

New Mexico and North  Dakota,  and  offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.  The Company
also owns or leases and operates 364 fluid hauling  trucks,  1,149 fluid storage
tanks,  14 salt  water  disposal  wells and  other  auxiliary  equipment  in its
domestic  onshore  operations  and 23  offshore  support  vessels in the Gulf of
Mexico.

     Internationally,  the Company has a  substantial  presence in Saudi  Arabia
where it is one of the largest  providers of drilling and workover  services and
has been providing such services for over 20 years. Other international  markets
where the Company has an  established  presence  include  Argentina,  Australia,
Ecuador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Oman and Pakistan.


     The Company files annual,  quarterly and current reports,  proxy statements
and   other   information   with  the   Securities   and   Exchange   Commission
("Commission").  You may read and copy any reports or other reports,  statements
or other information that the Company files at the Commission's public reference
rooms which are located at Room 1024,  Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street,  N.W.,
Washington,  D.C. 20549,  and at the  Commission's  regional offices located at:
Citicorp Center, 500 West Madison Street,  Suite 1400,  Chicago,  Illinois 60661
and  Seven  World  Trade  Center,   13th  Floor,   New  York,  New  York  10048.
Additionally,  copies of such material can be obtained from the Public Reference
Section of the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,  Washington,  D.C. 20549 at
prescribed  rates.  Copies of such  material  may also be  accessed  through the
Commission's Internet web site at http://www.sec.gov. The Company's Common Stock
is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market. 


DIRECTORS

     The following  paragraphs set forth the name, age, and principal occupation
or  employment  during the past five years of each  director of the Company,  as
well as certain other  directorships  held by each such person and his period of
service as a director of the Company.


     Mr.  Dennis R.  Hendrix,  58,  has been a  director  of the  Company  since
September 1998. Mr. Hendrix served as Chief Executive Officer of PanEnergy Corp.
from 1990 to 1995 and  served as its  Chairman  from 1990 until  1997,  when the
company was merged with Duke Power to form Duke Energy Corporation.  Mr. Hendrix
serves as a director of Allied Waste Industries,  Inc., Duke Energy Corporation,
Newfield Exploration Company, Chase Bank of Texas and National Power, P.L.C. Mr.
Hendrix's term as a director will expire in the year 1999.


     Mr. J.T. Jongebloed,  57, has served as a director since 1989 and currently
serves as a member of the Directors'  Nominating  Committee.  Mr. Jongebloed has
served as Chairman since 1994 and President and Chief  Executive  Officer of the
Company since 1990. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1989
to 1990 and in various  executive  positions  with the Company  since 1978.  Mr.
Jongebloed's term as a director will expire in the year 2000.


     Mr. John F.  Lauletta,  53, has been a director of the Company since August
1998  and  currently  serves  as a member  of the  Compensation  Committee.  Mr.
Lauletta has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tuboscope,  Inc.
since 1996.  Prior to that time,  Mr.  Lauletta  served as  President  and Chief
Executive  Officer of Drexel Oil Field Services,  Inc. Mr.  Lauletta's term as a
director will expire in the year 1999.


     Dr.  William H. Mobley,  57, has been a director of the Company  since 1990
and currently serves as a member of the Audit/Finance  Committee.  Dr. Mobley is
President  and Managing  Director of PDI Global  Research  Consortia,  Ltd.,  an
international  management  research and  consulting  firm.  He was  previously a
professor in the Graduate  School of Business at Texas A&M University  from 1980
to 1996. From 1993 to 1994 he was Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System,
and from 1988 to 1993 he was  President  of Texas A&M  University.  He is also a
director of Medici  Medical  Group,  Inc. Dr.  Mobley's  term as a director will
expire in the year 2001.



     Mr. Joseph R.  Musolino,  61, has served as a director of the Company since
1994 and  currently  serves as  Chairman  of the  Audit/Finance  Committee.  Mr.
Musolino has been Vice Chairman of NationsBank, N.A. for more than the last five
years. He also serves as a director of Justin  Industries,  Inc. Mr.  Musolino's
term as a director will expire in the year 2001.


                                       15

<PAGE>

     Mr.  James L. Payne,  61, has served as a director  since 1992.  Mr.  Payne
serves  as  Chairman  of both  the  Compensation  Committee  and the  Directors'
Nominating Committee.  Mr. Payne has been Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
Officer and a director of Santa Fe Energy  Resources,  Inc.  since 1990.  He was
President of Santa Fe Energy Resources, Inc. from 1990 to 1998. Mr. Payne's term
as a director will expire in the year 2000.


EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     The  following  table sets forth the names,  ages and  offices  held by the
executive  officers  of the Company as of the end of the  Company's  last fiscal
year and as of the date hereof:



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
          NAME AND AGE                                 OFFICE
- -------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------
<S>                              <C>

      James T. Jongebloed (57)   Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
      William J. Myers (62)      Group Vice President -- U.S. Operations
      Ronald G. Hale (49)        Group Vice President -- International Operations
      Ernest J. Spillard (59)    Senior Vice President, Finance
      Geoffrey Arms (55)         Vice President and General Counsel; Corporate
                                 Secretary
      Louis E. Dupre (52)        Vice President, Human Resources

</TABLE>



Each of the foregoing  persons has been an executive  officer or employee of the
Company for more than the last five years.

OTHER INFORMATION

      Certain information concerning the identity of and beneficial ownership of
Common Stock by the directors and executive and other corporate  officers of the
Company,  the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding Common Stock,
and certain  compensatory  and other  relationships  between the Company and its
directors and certain of its executive  officers is set forth on Annex A hereto.
Except as otherwise  disclosed herein, to the best knowledge of the Company,  no
such  director  or  executive  officer  or  associate  of any such  person has a
substantial interest in the matter to be acted upon at the Special Meeting.


                            SOLICITATION OF PROXIES


     In  addition  to the  use of the  mail,  facsimile,  telephone,  telegraph,
advertisements  and in  person  communications,  arrangements  will be made with
banks,  brokerage  houses and other  custodians,  nominees  and  fiduciaries  to
forward  proxy  materials  to the  beneficial  owners of Common  Stock,  and the
Company will, upon request,  reimburse them for their reasonable expenses. Proxy
solicitations may be made by directors and officers of the Company, none of whom
will receive additional compensation for such solicitation.

     The Company has retained  MacKenzie  Partners,  Inc. for  solicitation  and
advisory  services in connection with this  solicitation  by the Board,  and has
recently  engaged Morgan Stanley as its financial  advisor to assist the Company
with the review and further  implementation  of the Company's growth  strategies
and to assist the Company in evaluating the unsolicited  acquisition proposal by
Nabors.

     The cost of  soliciting  proxies  on  behalf  of the  Board  for use at the
Special  Meeting is being borne by the Company.  The Company  estimates that the
total  expenditures in connection with the solicitation  (including the fees and
expenses of its attorneys,  public relations advisors,  investment advisors, and
proxy solicitors,  and advertising,  printing,  mailing, travel and other costs,
but  excluding   salaries  and  wages  of  officers  and   employees)   will  be
approximately  $ , of which  approximately $ has been spent to date. The Company
has also agreed to indemnify some of its advisors from certain liabilities. 


                      CERTAIN FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

     Portions  of this  Proxy  Statement  include  statements  regarding  future
financial  performance  and results of operations and other  statements that are
not historical facts but are  forward-looking  statements  within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the

                                       16

<PAGE>

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act").  Statements to the
effect that the  Company,  the Board or  management  "anticipates,"  "believes,"
"estimates,"  "expects," "predicts," or "projects" a particular result or course
of events,  or that such result or course of events "should" occur,  and similar
expressions,  are also  intended to identify  forward-looking  statements.  Such
statements  are  subject  to  numerous  risks,  uncertainties  and  assumptions,
including  but not limited to  uncertainties  relating  to  industry  and market
conditions,  prices of crude oil and natural gas,  foreign exchange and currency
fluctuations, political instability in foreign jurisdictions, the ability of the
Company to integrate  newly acquired  operations and other factors  discussed in
this Proxy  Statement  and in the Company's  other filings with the  Commission.
Should  one or more of  these  risks or  uncertainties  materialize,  or  should
underlying assumptions prove incorrect,  actual results may vary materially from
those stated.

                             SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS


     Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Rules and Regulations  promulgated  under the
Exchange Act,  shareholders  may present  proper  proposals for inclusion in the
Company's  Proxy Statement and for  consideration  at the next annual meeting of
its shareholders by submitting such proposals to the Company in a timely manner.
In order to be included for the 1999 annual meeting,  shareholder proposals must
have been  received  by the  Company no later than  December  1, 1998,  and must
otherwise  have complied with all  applicable  legal  requirements.  Shareholder
proposals  received after such time will be considered  untimely and will not be
considered  for  inclusion in the Company's  Proxy  Statement at the 1999 annual
meeting of shareholders.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.

                                       17

<PAGE>

                                    ANNEX A

                           OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK
                                      AND
                               OTHER INFORMATION

                           OWNERSHIP OF COMMON STOCK

     The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of Common Stock.  Except as otherwise noted, the information set forth
below concerning the beneficial  ownership of Common Stock by (a) each director,
(b) each executive and other corporate  officer and (c) each person known to the
Company to be the  beneficial  owner of more than 5% of the Company Common Stock
is as of October 31,  1998.  A total of  21,043,898  shares of Common  Stock was
outstanding as of October 31, 1998.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

             NAME OF BENEFICIAL OWNER                          BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
- --------------------------------------------------   -----------------------------------------
                                                             SHARES           PERCENT OF TOTAL
                                                     ---------------------   -----------------
<S>                                                  <C>                     <C>
Nabors Industries, Inc. ..........................           2,209,500(a)           10.5
Alton Anthony Gonsoulin, Jr. .....................           2,000,000(b)            9.5
Brinson Holdings, Inc., Brinson Trust Company,

 and Brinson Partners, Inc.,. ....................           1,104,455(c)            5.2
J.T. Jongebloed (e)(f) ...........................             181,110.203(h)        (d)
William H. Mobley (e) ............................              20,200(i)            (d)
Joseph R. Musolino (e) ...........................              14,000(j)            (d)
James L. Payne (e) ...............................              13,000(k)            (d)
Dennis R. Hendrix (e) ............................              10,000               (d)
John F. Lauletta (e) .............................                  -0-
William J. Myers (f) .............................              50,008.210(l)        (d)
Ronald G. Hale (f) ...............................              22,333.337(m)        (d)
Ernest J. Spillard (f) ...........................              99,394.681(n)        (d)
Louis E. Dupre' (f) ..............................              12,251.087(o)        (d)
Geoffrey Arms (f) ................................              53,714.295(p)        (d)
David C. Oatman (g) ..............................               2,662(q)            (d)
Richard A. Johannsen (g) .........................              11,874(r)            (d)
Beth G. Gordon (g) ...............................                 812(s)            (d)
All directors and officers as a group (14 persons)

 (e) (f) (g) .....................................             491,359.813(t)        2.3
</TABLE>

- ----------
(a)        Based upon an amended  Schedule 13D filed on November 20, 1998; power
           to dispose and vote shared with a wholly owned subsidiary.

(b)        Based upon an  amended  Schedule  13D filed on  September  18,  1998;
           461,539  of  such  shars  are  owned  by  a  wholly  owned  corporate
           affiliate;  769,231  of  such  shares  are  held  in  escrow  to fund
           indemnity  obligations  to the Company  through  March 31, 2000,  the
           escrowed  shares must be voted as directed by the Board through March
           31, 2000 unless sooner  converted  into cash in  accordance  with the
           terms of the escrow agreement.

(c)        Based  upon  a Form  13F for the calendar quarter ended September 30,
           1998.  Brinson  Holdings,  Inc.  ("BHI")  is  the  parent  company of
           Brinson  Partners,  Inc.  ("BPI,")  which  is a registered investment
           adviser.  BPI is the parent company of Brinson Trust Company ("BTC"),
           a  bank.  All  three  companies  are  located  at  209 South LaSalle,
           Chicago,  IL  60604-1295.  The shares listed consist of 444,753 owned
           by  BTC  and  659,702  owned  by  BPI. BTC has sole and shared voting
           power   with   respect   to   268,153   shares  and  176,600  shares,
           respectively,  and  BPI  has  sole,  shared  and no voting power with
           respect  to  487,502 shares, 36,200 and 136,000 shares, respectively,
           BHI  may  be  deemed  to  be  the beneficial owner of all such shares
           through its ownership of BPI and BTC.

(d)        Less than 1%.

(e)        Director with sole voting and dispositive power over all shares owned
           or  acquirable  upon  exercise  of  options  as  described  in  other
           footnotes to this table.

                                      A-1

<PAGE>

(f)        Executive  officer  with sole voting and  dispositive  power over all
           shares owned or  acquirable  upon exercise of options as described in
           other footnotes to this table.

(g)        Other corporate  officer with sole voting and dispositive  power over
           all shares owned or acquirable  upon exercise of options as described
           in other footnotes to this table.

(h)        Includes 166,723 shares which may be acquired through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(i)        Includes 16,000 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(j)        Includes 10,000 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(k)        Includes  8,000 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(l)        Includes 22,437 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(m)        Includes 12,505 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(n)        Includes 90,457 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(o)        Includes  9,668 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(p)        Includes 45,804 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(q)        Includes  2,562 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(r)        Includes  3,937 shares which may be acquired  through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(s)        Includes  812 shares  which may be acquired  through the  exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

(t)        Includes 388,905 shares which may be acquired through the exercise of
           stock  options  that  are  currently   exercisable   or  will  become
           exercisable within 60 days after October 31, 1998.

                               OTHER INFORMATION

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

     Each  director  who  is  not  an  employee  of  the  Company  is  currently
compensated  by an annual cash  retainer  fee of $12,000 and an annual  grant of
1,000  shares of Common  Stock.  The  shares of Common  Stock may not be sold or
transferred  by the  director  for a period of one year  after the grant and are
subject to forfeiture if the director resigns as director prior to completion of
the one year period.  Such directors also receive a fee of $1,000 for each Board
or Board  committee  meeting  attended.  If more than one meeting is held on the
same day,  however,  full  payment is made for only one  meeting and the fee for
each  additional  meeting  attended that day is $800. In addition,  a $2,000 per
annum fee is paid for service on a Board  committee,  with an additional  $1,500
per annum paid to the chairman of a Board committee.  Directors who are employed
by the Company receive no additional  compensation for service as members of the
Board or any committee of the Board.

     Under the Company's 1996 Directors'  Stock Incentive Plan (the "1996 Plan")
each  director  who is not a full-time  employee  of the  Company  automatically
receives an initial grant of an option to purchase  8,000 shares of Common Stock
upon being  elected or appointed  to the Board for the first time (the  "Initial
Option  Grant") and receives an  additional  option to purchase  4,000 shares of
Common Stock on the date of each Annual Meeting of  Shareholders  after the year
in which the Initial  Option Grant  occurred (the "Annual  Option  Grant").  The
exercise  price of the  options is equal to the fair  market  value per share of
Common  Stock on the date an option is granted.  Each option  granted  under the
1996 Plan

                                      A-2

<PAGE>

becomes  exercisable  generally  one year from the date of grant and expires ten
years  after the date of the  grant.  If a  participant's  service as a director
terminates by reason of disability,  death, the failure of the Board to nominate
him for  reelection  other than for "cause," as defined in the 1996 Plan, or his
ineligibility  for  reelection  pursuant  to the age  limitation  imposed by the
Company's Bylaws, his options may be exercised for up to one year after the date
of the disability,  death or  termination.  If a director's  service  terminates
because he decides  not to stand for  reelection,  or if he becomes a  full-time
employee,  his options may be exercised for up to three months after such event,
and, if his service  terminates  for any other  reason,  except for "cause," his
options may be exercised for up to five business days after such termination. In
the event a director's  service  terminates  for "cause" his options will become
immediately null and void. Provision is made in the 1996 Plan for adjustments of
options in cases of mergers,  stock splits and similar  capital  reorganizations
and for immediate vesting in the case of a change in control of the Company.

     Directors  of the  Company  in office  prior to May 1996 also hold  options
previously  granted  pursuant to the 1991 Directors' Stock Option Plan which has
terms and conditions similar to the terms and conditions of the 1996 Plan.

INDEMNITY ARRANGEMENTS

     The Company's Bylaws obligate the Company to indemnify any person who is or
was a director,  officer, employee or agent of the Company to the fullest extent
that a  corporation  may or is required to grant  indemnification  to a director
under the TBCA. The Company's  Articles of  Incorporation,  as amended,  further
provide that a director of the Company shall not be liable to the Company or its
shareholders  for  monetary  damages for any act or omission in such  director's
capacity  as a  director  of the  Company,  in each case to the  fullest  extent
permitted by Texas law.

     On October  19,  1998,  the Board  approved a form of  indemnity  agreement
pursuant to which the Company will  contractually  agree to indemnify  directors
against  liabilities  arising from their serving as directors and to advance the
expenses  of  defending  against  such  liabilities.  This  agreement,  which is
designed to implement the indemnification provisions of Texas law to the maximum
practicable  extent,  sets forth,  among other things,  the standards of conduct
required  to receive  indemnification,  the  methods of  securing  approval  for
indemnity  payments  and the  procedural  requirements  necessary  to secure the
advancement of expenses.

COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     The Company's  executive  compensation is administered by the  Compensation
Committee of the Board.  The following  report  appeared in the Company's  Proxy
Statement dated April 2, 1998, for its 1998 annual meeting of shareholders:

                         COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
                                      ON
                            EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     This  report of the  Compensation  Committee  ("Committee")  sets forth the
Company's  policy with respect to executive  officer  compensation and describes
the  basis  for 1997  compensation  determinations  made by the  Committee  with
respect to the Chief  Executive  Officer  and other  executive  officers  of the
Company.

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY
     The Company's philosophy with regard to executive compensation is to:

   o  Provide a competitive total compensation  package consistent with industry
      practice that enables the Company to attract and retain key executives.

   o  Structure  incentive  compensation so as to focus executive  attention and
      effort on the  fulfillment  of  the Company's  financial  objectives,  and
      on the appreciation of the value of the Company's stock.

                                      A-3

<PAGE>

COMPENSATION PROGRAM ELEMENTS

     The elements of the Company's  compensation  program for executive officers
are as follows:

 
    BASE  SALARY  --  Base  salary  levels  are  largely   determined   through
comparisons  with  compensation  paid to executives of companies of similar size
and  complexity as the Company  within the industry.  The Committee  attempts to
ensure that such pay levels are  competitive  within a range that the  Committee
considers  to be  reasonable  and  necessary.  The  Committee  utilizes for this
purpose  surveys and the  assistance  of outside  consultants  as well as market
information  from other  sources  and takes  into  consideration  the  Company's
performance both in absolute terms and in comparison with other companies in the
industry.  With  respect to the  compensation  of officers  other than the Chief
Executive   Officer,   the   Committee   gives  strong   consideration   to  the
recommendations  of the Chief Executive  Officer which are based as to each such
executive officer largely on performance, longevity and responsibilities.

     ANNUAL  INCENTIVE  COMPENSATION  -- The  Company's  executive  officers are
eligible to participate in management bonus plans established from time to time,
typically on an annual basis,  which provide for bonus awards based on attaining
or exceeding  specified  financial and other performance  objectives.  Under the
bonus  plan  that was in effect  for  1997,  bonus  awards  were  based on a net
earnings goal, an EBITD(1) goal and on return to shareholders in comparison with
a peer group of companies. For certain executives, a safety performance goal was
also added.  Provision was made for awards under such plan to be  increased,  in
the event performance goals were exceeded by specified amounts,  to a maximum of
twice the amount that would be awarded for  attaining  the targeted  performance
objectives. Actual awards were subject to decreases or increases on the basis of
the Committee's evaluation of the Company's and/or the executive's  performance,
although no such discretionary action was taken. The plan also provided that, at
the  Committee's  discretion,  up to 50 percent of any bonuses  payable for 1997
could be paid in Company  stock,  and the Committee  directed that 25 percent of
the 1997 bonuses would be paid in shares of restricted  stock  (restricted for a
period of one year of  continuing  service  after  receipt,  except for  earlier
retirement,  death,  disability or change in control). The amounts paid in stock
were, under the terms of the plan, increased by 15 percent.

     LONG TERM INCENTIVE COMPENSATION -- Executive officers also participated in
a long term  incentive  compensation  plan. In 1997,  award  opportunities  were
established for each executive  officer under which awards will be made based on
performance over a three-year period. The awards, if earned, will be paid solely
in restricted  stock (50 percent thereof  restricted for one year and 50 percent
restricted for two years of continuing service after receipt, except for earlier
retirement,  death,  disability  or change in control).  Entitlement  to receive
awards is based 50 percent on  cumulative  EBITD  performance  and 50 percent on
cumulative total return to shareholders  performance compared to a peer group of
companies over the three-year  period.  Target awards are set at a percentage of
each  recipient's  annual salary in effect at the  beginning of the  performance
period.  The target  awards will be  increased  by up to 50 percent in the event
performance goals are exceeded by specified amounts.

     STOCK  INCENTIVE PLAN -- The Company has an Employee  Stock  Incentive Plan
(the "Stock  Incentive  Plan")  pursuant to which  executive  officers and other
employees,  from time to time, may be granted  nonqualified  options to purchase
Company Common Stock. The exercise price of all such stock options is the market
price of the shares on the date the option is granted,  and the  realization  of
any value is, therefore,  totally dependent on future stock price  appreciation.
This is intended to provide added incentive to work for the continued growth and
success of the Company.  The Stock  Incentive Plan also permits the Committee to
make  awards  to  executive  officers  and  other  employees,  in  lieu  of cash
compensation,  of (i) Restricted  Stock (shares of Common Stock that are subject
to such  vesting  requirements  or other  restrictions  as the  Committee  shall
establish), and (ii) Bonus Stock (shares of Common Stock that are not subject to
vesting or other restrictions).

     SAR/PHANTOM  STOCK PLAN -- The Company has a plan (the  "SAR/Phantom  Stock
Plan") pursuant to which executive  officers and other  employees,  from time to
time, may be granted Stock  Appreciation  Rights and/or Phantom Stock awards.  A
Stock  Appreciation  Right is the right to receive,  upon the exercise  thereof,
cash in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of a share of the
Company's  Common Stock on the date of exercise over the base price of the Stock
Appreciation  Right. A Phantom Stock award  represents the right to receive cash
in an amount equal to the fair market value of a corresponding  number of shares
of Common Stock,  which vests over a period of time or upon the occurrence of an
event (including

                                      A-4

<PAGE>

without  limitation,  a change in  control)  as  established  by the  Committee,
without  any  payment to the  Company by the  participant  (except to the extent
otherwise  required by law). The  SAR/Phantom  Stock Plan is administered by the
Committee,  and the  Committee  determines  eligibility  and  grants  all awards
thereunder.

- ----------
(1) EBITD is earnings before interest,  income taxes,  depreciation/amortization
    and minority interest.

     The SAR/Phantom  Stock Plan was established  effective January 1, 1997, and
no  awards of Stock  Appreciation  Rights or  Phantom  Stock  have yet been made
thereunder.

     The Committee's overall objective in structuring incentive compensation for
executive  officers and other key personnel is to deliver  competitive levels of
compensation  for the  attainment  by the Company of  short-term  and  long-term
financial  objectives that the Committee  believes will favorably  influence the
Company's   stock  price  over  time.  The  Committee   further   believes  that
compensating  employees who have substantial  responsibility  for the management
and growth of the Company with Company  stock,  and providing  such persons with
opportunities  to benefit directly from increases in the value of Company stock,
will also align their  interests  more closely with those of other  shareholders
and  provide  additional  incentive  to  enhance  the  profitable  growth of the
Company.

1997 COMPENSATION

     The base salary level approved by the Committee in 1997 for Mr. Jongebloed,
as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, was established on the basis
of (i) personal performance, (ii) Company performance, and (iii) comparison with
salaries for chief executive  officers of several  well-recognized  companies in
the same  industry as the  Company,  as reported by an outside  consultant,  Hay
Management Consultants ("Hay"). Such base salary level amounted to a 9.5 percent
increase over his previous base salary which had been in effect for the previous
12 months. Mr.  Jongebloed's bonus compensation for 1997 was calculated and paid
pursuant  to the  Company's  1997  Management  Bonus  Plan and was  based on the
Company's  attaining  or  exceeding  goals  based on (i) net income  compared to
budget,  (ii)  EBITD  performance   compared  to  budget  and  (iii)  return  to
shareholders compared to that of a peer group of companies. The bonus earned was
the maximum bonus attainable under the Plan.

     The  Committee  approved  base  salary  levels in 1997 for other  executive
officers  based on  recommendations  by the Chief  Executive  Officer  and Hay's
recommendations.  Bonuses for 1997 were paid to executive  officers  pursuant to
the  terms of the  Company's  1997  Management  Bonus  Plan and were  determined
totally  on the  Company's  financial  performance  for  the  year.  Each of the
executive  officers received a bonus on the basis of the Company's  attaining or
exceeding  the net  income,  EBITD and return to  shareholders  goals  mentioned
above.  These  bonuses were on average  approximately  96 percent of the maximum
bonuses attainable under the Plan.

     Stock option grants  pursuant to the Stock  Incentive Plan were made to Mr.
Jongebloed  and other  executive  officers in 1997,  as  reflected in the Option
Grants Table, on the basis of Hay's  recommendations,  each executive's personal
performance and the desire to link Company performance to compensation.

COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 162(M)

     No formal policy has been adopted by the Company with respect to qualifying
compensation paid to its executive officers for an exemption from the limitation
on  deductibility  imposed by Section  162(m) of the Internal  Revenue Code. The
Company  anticipates that all compensation paid to its executive officers during
1997 will  qualify for  deductibility  because no  executive's  compensation  is
expected to exceed the dollar limitations of such provision.

                                                          COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

                                      A-5

<PAGE>

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

     The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation paid
to the Chief  Executive  Officer and to each of the other four  persons who were
the most  highly  compensated  executive  officers  of the  Company  in 1997 for
services  rendered in all capacities to the Company for the years ended December
31, 1997, 1996 and 1995:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                 ANNUAL COMPENSATION               LONG-TERM COMPENSATION
                                    --------------------------------------------- ------------------------
                                                                                           AWARDS
                                                                                  ------------------------
                                                                                                  SHARES
                                                                      OTHER        RESTRICTED   UNDERLYING
                                                                      ANNUAL          STOCK       STOCK         ALL OTHER
                                             SALARY   BONUS(1)   COMPENSATION(2)     AWARDS      OPTIONS    COMPENSATION(1)(3)
    NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION      YEAR     ($)        ($)           ($)             ($)         (#)             ($)
- ----------------------------------- ------ --------- ---------- ----------------- ------------ ----------- -------------------
<S>                                 <C>    <C>       <C>        <C>               <C>          <C>         <C>
J. T. Jongebloed .................. 1997   437,461    336,000          --               --0-      50,000         12,850
 Chairman, President and .......... 1996   404,423    303,615          --               --0-      60,779            250
 Chief Executive Officer .......... 1995   376,961     47,250          --               --0-      40,890            250
W. J Myers ........................ 1997   248,723    116,640          --            190,875      19,000          4,624
 Group Vice President -- .......... 1996   238,846    123,117          --               --0-      24,416            250
 U.S. Operations .................. 1995   230,654     12,657          --               --0-      20,000            250
E. J. Spillard .................... 1997   207,154    120,000          --               --0-      16,000          4,750
 Senior Vice President, ........... 1996   195,068    111,234          --               --0-      19,792            250
 Finance .......................... 1995   185,937     16,875          --               --0-      20,000            250
R. G. Hale ........................ 1997   194,769    114,000          --               --0-      15,000          4,525
 Group Vice President- ............ 1996   185,846    105,608          --               --0-      18,909            250
 International Operations ......... 1995   177,653     29,563          --               --0-      20,000            250
G. G. Arms ........................ 1997   150,291     73,000          --               --0-       9,000          2,988
 Vice President and ............... 1996   140,808     66,178          --               --0-      10,597            250
 General Counsel; ................. 1995   133,392     12,188          --               --0-      15,000            250
 Corporate Secretary

</TABLE>

- ----------
(1) Seventy-five  percent  of the  bonus  for  1997  was  paid in  cash  and the
    remainder  in  restricted  shares of Common  Stock,  the number of which was
    determined  by dividing 25 percent of the bonus amount by the share price at
    the  award  date and,  in  accordance  with  provisions  of the bonus  plan,
    increasing that result by 15 percent.  The value at the award date of the 15
    percent  increase  is  included  in  the  amount  shown  in the  "All  Other
    Compensation" column.

(2) Perquisites  and other  personal  benefits  paid in each year to each of the
    named executive  officers did not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or 10 percent
    of such individual's total salary and bonus.

(3) Includes the amount  contributed by the Company to each individual's  401(k)
    Plan account in such year as well as, for 1997, the amount described in note
    (1).

                                      A-6

<PAGE>

OPTION EXERCISES AND YEAR-END VALUE TABLE

AGGREGATED OPTION EXERCISES IN 1997 AND YEAR-END OPTION VALUES

     The  following  table sets forth  information  with respect to stock option
exercises  during 1997,  and  unexercised  stock  options held, as of the end of
1997, by the persons named in the Summary Compensation Table:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                      NUMBER OF SHARES               VALUE OF UNEXERCISED
                                                                   UNDERLYING UNEXERCISED                IN-THE-MONEY
                                                                     OPTIONS AT 12-31-97             OPTIONS AT 12-31-97
                              SHARES ACQUIRED       VALUE                    (#)                             ($)            -
                                ON EXERCISE        REALIZED    -------------------------------   ---------------------------
           NAME                     (#)             ($)(1)      EXERCISABLE     UNEXERCISABLE     EXERCISABLE   UNEXERCISABLE
- --------------------------   -----------------   -----------   -------------   ---------------   ------------- --------------
<S>                          <C>                 <C>           <C>             <C>               <C>           <C>
J. T. Jongebloed .........        69,110         1,407,818          118,889          121,780         1,646,391      1,374,391
W. J Myers ...............        23,604           295,742            2,500           49,812            31,563        570,252
E. J. Spillard ...........        25,000           415,625           72,676           43,344           977,393        500,219
R. G. Hale ...............        14,720           188,110                7           41,682                88        483,111
G. G. Arms ...............        25,000           502,500           34,404           26,448           458,567        310,282
</TABLE>

- ----------
(1) Value  realized  is the excess of the  current  market  value at the date of
 exercise minus the exercise price.

OPTION GRANT TABLE
OPTION GRANTS IN 1997

     The following  table sets forth  information  with respect to stock options
granted during 1997 to the persons named in the Summary Compensation Table:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                                POTENTIAL REALIZABLE
                                                                                                  VALUE AT ASSUMED
                                                    % OF TOTAL                               ANNUAL RATES OF STOCK PRICE
                                   NUMBER OF          OPTIONS                                       APPRECIATION
                               SHARES UNDERLYING    GRANTED TO     EXERCISE                      FOR OPTION TERM(5)
                                OPTIONS GRANTED    EMPLOYEES IN     PRICE     EXPIRATION -----------------------------------
             NAME                  (1)(2)(3)           1997       ($/SH)(4)      DATE            5%               10%
- ----------------------------- ------------------- -------------- ----------- ----------- ----------------- -----------------
<S>                           <C>                 <C>            <C>         <C>         <C>               <C>
J. T. Jongebloed ............        50,000            29.21%    13.50         5/1/07      $     424,500     $   1,075,800
W. J Myers ..................        19,000            11.10%    13.50         5/1/07            161,310           408,804
E. J. Spillard ..............        16,000             9.35%    13.50         5/1/07            135,840           344,256
R. G. Hale ..................        15,000             8.76%    13.50         5/1/07            127,350           322,740
G. G. Arms ..................         9,000             5.26%    13.50         5/1/07             76,410           193,644
 Total ......................       109,000            63.67%                              $     925,410     $   2,345,244
All Shareholders(6) .........         N/A              N/A          N/A          N/A       $ 165,121,552     $ 418,463,522
Named Executives' Gain as
 % of all Shareholders'

 Gain .......................         N/A              N/A          N/A          N/A                0.56%             0.56%
</TABLE>

- ----------
(1) All options granted in 1997 become exercisable in equal annual increments of
    33 1/3 percent commencing on the first anniversary of the award. Vesting may
    be accelerated, however, in the event of a change in control of the Company.

(2) The Compensation  Committee and/or the Board retains discretion,  subject to
    plan limits, to modify the terms of outstanding options.

(3) The options have a term of ten years, but are subject to earlier  expiration
    in certain events related to termination of employment.

(4) The exercise price and any related tax  withholding  obligations  arising in
    connection with exercise may be satisfied by the optionholder's surrender of
    already-owned  shares or by offsetting a portion of the shares issuable upon
    exercise, subject to certain limitations.

(5) The dollar  amounts  shown in these  columns  are the result of  computation
    required by the Commission's  regulations,  and are not intended to forecast
    future appreciation, if any, of the Stock price of the Common Stock.

(6) Potential  shareholder  gain is  included  for  comparison  purposes  and is
    calculated  assuming all outstanding  shares were purchased at a price equal
    to the market price of the Common  Stock  ($13.50 per share) on May 1, 1997,
    the date of the 1997 option grants.

                                      A-7

<PAGE>

1998 OPTION GRANTS

   

     On  February  17,  1998,  the  Compensation  Committee of the Board granted
ten-year  options  to  purchase  shares  of Common Stock at an exercise price of
$18.34375  per  share  to Messrs. J. T. Jongebloed, W. J. Myers, E. J. Spillard,
R.  G.  Hale  and  G  .  G. Arms in the amounts of 40,000 shares, 16,000 shares,
14,000  shares, 13,000 shares and 8,000 shares, respectively. These options vest
in  equal  annual  increments  on  February  17, 1999, 2000 and 2001. On July 9,
1998,  the  Compensation  Committee  of  the  Board  granted additional ten-year
options  to  purchase  shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $12.50 per
share  to Messrs. J. T. Jongebloed, E. J. Spillard, R. G. Hale and G. G. Arms in
the  amounts of 110,000 shares, 35,000 shares, 25,000 shares, and 15,000 shares,
respectively.  These  options  vest  in equal annual increments on July 9, 1999,
2000, 2001 and 2002.
    

LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLANS

   

     1996 AWARDS. The following table sets forth information with respect to the
potential  awards of Common Stock under the Company's 1996  Long-Term  Incentive
Plan ("1996 Plan") to the persons named in the Summary  Compensation  Table. The
receipt  of the  shares  indicated  will  depend  on the  Company's  performance
compared to specified goals during the  performance  compared to specified goals
during the performance period commencing January 1, 1996 and ending December 31,
1998.     

   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                               ESTIMATED FUTURE PAYMENT
                                                           ---------------------------------
                              NUMBER OF     PERFORMANCE     THRESHOLD     TARGET     MAXIMUM
           NAME                 SHARES         PERIOD          (#)          (#)        (#)
- --------------------------   -----------   -------------   -----------   --------   --------
<S>                          <C>           <C>             <C>           <C>        <C>
J. T. Jongebloed .........     24,632      3 years           12,316       24,632     36,947
W. J. Myers ..............      9,895      3 years            4,948        9,895     14,842
E. J. Spillard ...........      8,021      3 years            4,011        8,021     12,032
R. G. Hale ...............      7,663      3 years            3,832        7,663     11,495
G. G. Arms ...............      3,579      3 years            1,790        3,579      5,368
</TABLE>
    

     1997 AWARDS. The following table sets forth information with respect to the
potential  awards of Common Stock under the Company's 1997  Long-Term  Incentive
Plan ("1997 Plan") to the persons named in the Summary  Compensation  Table. The
receipt  of the  shares  indicated  will  depend  on the  Company's  performance
compared to specified goals during the performance  period commencing January 1,
1997 and ending December 31, 1999.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                               ESTIMATED FUTURE PAYOUT
                                                          ---------------------------------
                              NUMBER OF     PERFORMANCE    THRESHOLD     TARGET     MAXIMUM
           NAME                 SHARES        PERIOD          (#)          (#)        (#)
- --------------------------   -----------   ------------   -----------   --------   --------
<S>                          <C>           <C>            <C>           <C>        <C>
J. T. Jongebloed .........     17,155      3 years           4,289       17,155     25,733
W. J Myers ...............      6,617      3 years           1,654        6,617      9,926
E. J. Spillard ...........      5,446      3 years           1,362        5,446      8,169
R. G. Hale ...............      5,174      3 years           1,294        5,174      7,761
G. G. Arms ...............      2,485      3 years             621        2,485      3,728
</TABLE>

   

     1998 AWARDS The following table sets forth  information with respect to the
potential  awards of Common Stock under the Company's 1998  Long-Term  Incentive
Plan ("1998 Plan") to the persons named in the Summary  Compensation  Table. The
receipt  of the  shares  indicated  will  depend  on the  Company's  performance
compared to specified goals during the performance  period commencing January 1,
1998 and ending December 31, 2000.     

   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                               ESTIMATED FUTURE PAYOUT
                                                          ---------------------------------
                              NUMBER OF     PERFORMANCE    THRESHOLD     TARGET     MAXIMUM
           NAME                 SHARES        PERIOD          (#)          (#)        (#)
- --------------------------   -----------   ------------   -----------   --------   --------
<S>                          <C>           <C>            <C>           <C>        <C>
J. T. Jongebloed .........     11,389      3 years           2,847       11,389     17,084
W. J Myers ...............      4,209      3 years           1,052        4,209      6,313
E. J. Spillard ...........      3,549      3 years             887        3,549      5,323
R. G. Hale ...............      3,301      3 years             825        3,301      4,952
G. G. Arms ...............      2,398      3 years             400        1,599      2,398
</TABLE>
    

                                      A-8

<PAGE>

   

      1999 AWARDS. The Compensation  Committee has recommended and the Board has
approved the Company's 1999 Long-Term  Incentive Plan ("1999 Plan") covering the
performance  period  commencing on January 1, 1999 and ending December 31, 2001.
The number of shares  potentially  issuable  to Messrs.  J.T.  Jongebloed,  E.J.
Spillard,  R.G.  Hale and G.G.  Arms will be  determined  with  reference to the
average  closing price of the Common Stock over the last twenty  trading days of
1998.

     OTHER TERMS. Under the 1996 Plan, the 1997 Plan, the 1998 Plan and the 1999
Plan (collectively,  the Long-Term Plans"), a target award of shares was or will
be established for each  participant  based on a percentage of the  individual's
salary in effect  at the  beginning  of the  applicable  three-year  performance
period.  A payout under each of the Plans will depend on the extent to which the
established  performance  criteria are  satisfied.  Target awards under the 1996
Plan,  the 1997 Plan and the 1998 Plan are based 50 percent on  earnings  before
interest,  taxes and depreciation  performance and 50 percent on total return to
shareholders  as compared to a peer group of companies.  Target awards under the
1999  Plan will be based 25  percent  on  earnings  before  interest,  taxes and
depreciation performance, 25 percent on total return to shareholders as compared
to a peer group of companies, 25 percent on Common Stock performance compared to
the  Standard & Poor's 500 Index and 25  percent  on price  appreciation  of the
Common Stock.

     All awards under the Long-Term Plans are to be paid in Common Stock, to the
extent  sufficient  shares are available under the Company's 1993 Employee Stock
Incentive Plan, and otherwise are to be paid in cash.  Shares received under the
Long-Term  Plans will be restricted so that, (i) if the  executive's  employment
terminates  within  one year after the shares  are  earned,  100  percent of the
shares would be forfeited,  and (ii) if the  executive's  employment  terminates
between  one and two years  after the award is earned,  50 percent of the shares
would be  forfeited  except  in the  event  of  termination  of the  executive's
employment due to retirement,  death, total disability,  redundancy or change in
control.  Target  payouts are equal to specified  percentages  of  participants'
annual base salaries in effect at the beginning of the  performance  period,  as
follows: 60 percent for Mr. Jongebloed,  40 percent for Messrs.  Myers, Spillard
and Hale, and 25 percent for Mr. Arms. Threshold payouts under the 1996 Plan are
one-half of target  payouts,  and threshold  payouts  under the other  Long-Term
Plans are one-fourth of the target  payouts.  Maximum  payouts under each of the
Long-Term  Plans are 150 percent of the target  payouts.  Threshold  payouts are
made if  performance  falls within a certain range below that which is necessary
to earn the target award.  Maximum payments are made if performance exceeds by a
specified amount that which is necessary to earn the target payouts.

RETIRMENT BENEFITS AND CHANGE IN CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS

      RETIREMENT PLAN. The Company has a defined benefit retirement plan for its
employees with different benefit formulas for salaried and hourly employees (the
"Qualified  Retirement Plan"). In connection with the upgrading of the Company's
401(k) qualified defined contribution plan (the "Savings Plan"), effective as of
January 1, 1999, the Qualified  Retirement  Plan was amended in 1998 to preclude
the entry of new participants after January 1, 1998 and to terminate the accrual
of any further  benefits after December 31, 1998. The normal monthly  retirement
benefit payable at age 65, or later if employment  continues  beyond age 65, for
salaried  employees  is  equal  to 1  percent  of  the  monthly  average  of the
participant's highest rate of base compensation  determined as of each January 1
of any  five  consecutive  years  during  the ten  consecutive  years  preceding
December  31,  1998,  plus 0.6  percent  of the  excess  of  compensation  as so
determined  over the monthly  average of the maximum  taxable  wage base used to
calculate  old-age  benefits  under the Federal  Social  Security Act for the 35
years  ending  with the year in which the  participant  will  attain  his normal
retirement  age under the Federal Social  Security Act,  multiplied by years and
fractions  thereof of credited  service from May 1, 1990,  to December 31, 1998.
The Qualified  Retirement  Plan provides for  actuarially  reduced  benefits for
early retirement.  Although the normal form of benefit for married  participants
is a joint and 50 percent  survivor annuity and, for unmarried  participants,  a
life only annuity,  the Qualified Retirement Plan permits other forms of benefit
payment.  At December  31,  1997,  credited  service  under the plan for Messrs.
Jongebloed,  Myers, Spillard, Hale and Arms was 7.67 years each, and the highest
average  annual  compensation  recognized  by the  plan  for  each of  them  was
$152,000, $152,000, $152,000, $152,000, and $132,800, respectively.     

                                      A-9

<PAGE>

   

     SAVINGS PLAN.  The Savings Plan has been enhanced  significantly  effective
January 1, 1999. As of that date,  employees  may  contribute up to 20% of their
annual compensation to the Savings Plan on a tax-deferred basis, and the Company
will  match 100  percent  of the first 3  percent,  and 50 percent of the next 2
percent,  of  compensation  contributed  by  each  employee.  The  Company  will
contribute an additional 3.5 percent of  compensation  for certain  employees of
its Alaska operation. All Company contributions to the Savings Plan will be made
in shares of Common Stock. In addition to Common Stock,  participants may direct
the  investment  of their  savings  into one or more of five funds with  varying
degrees of investment risk and opportunity.  As of January 1, 1999, participants
will be 100 percent vested in the Company's  contributions  to the Savings Plan.
    

     The table below  illustrates  the amount of annual pension  benefit payable
under the plan on a straight life annuity basis  beginning at age 65 to a person
in a specified average salary and years of service classification using, for all
years,  the 1996 maximum  taxable wage base used to calculate  old-age  benefits
under the Federal Social Security Act:*

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                              YEARS OF SERVICE
                     -------------------------------------------------------------------
   REMUNERATION           15            20            25            30            35
- ------------------   -----------   -----------   -----------   -----------   -----------
<S>                  <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>
$100,000 .........    $ 18,114      $ 24,152      $ 30,190      $ 36,228      $ 42,266
 125,000 .........      24,114        32,152        40,190        48,228        56,266
 150,000 .........      30,114        40,152        50,190        60,228        70,266
 175,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
 200,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
 225,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
 250,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
 300,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
 400,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
 500,000 .........      32,514        43,352        54,190        65,028        75,866
</TABLE>

- ----------
* In accordance with the applicable  provisions of the Internal  Revenue Code of
  1986,  as  amended,  annual  compensation  above  $160,000 is  disregarded  in
  calculating benefits,  and the benefits payable under the Qualified Retirement
  Plan are limited to $125,000  annually.  Both limits are subject to adjustment
  by the Secretary of the Treasury to reflect  cost-of-living  increases and are
  included in the above table.

     SUPPLEMENTARY  EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLANS. The Company has two nonqualified
supplementary  executive  retirement plans which provide retirement benefits for
certain senior  executives,  one of which plans was  implemented in 1993 and the
other in 1996. The 1993 plan provides benefits equal to 2 percent of the average
of the participant's  salary and annual bonus  compensation for each of the five
years for which such  compensation  was highest out of the last ten  consecutive
years of employment,  multiplied by years of credited service of employment with
the Company,  Pool Company and ENSERCH  Corporation,  up to 35 years,  minus (i)
social security benefits and (ii) retirement benefits payable to the participant
pursuant to, or resulting from his participation in, any other qualified defined
benefit plans of the Company, Pool Company or ENSERCH Corporation, including the
Qualified  Retirement  Plan.  The 1996  plan  provides  benefits  equal to 2 1/2
percent of the average of the participant's salary and annual bonus compensation
for each of the five years for which such  compensation  was  highest out of the
last  ten  consecutive  years of  employment,  multiplied  by years of  credited
service of employment with the Company, Pool Company and ENSERCH Corporation, up
to 24 years, minus (i) retirement  benefits payable to the participant  pursuant
to, or resulting from his  participation in, any other qualified defined benefit
plans of the  Company,  Pool  Company  or  ENSERCH  Corporation,  including  the
Qualified  Retirement Plan, and (ii) benefits payable pursuant to the 1993 plan.
The benefit  thus  determined  is payable in an  actuarial  equivalent  lump sum
amount.  Messrs.  Jongebloed,  Myers,  Spillard,  Hale and Arms are eligible for
benefits under such plans.  At December 31, 1997,  credited  service under these
plans for Messrs.  Jongebloed,  Myers,  Spillard,  Hale and Arms was 19.3,  9.9,
18.0,  26.1  and  22.2  years,  respectively,  and the  highest  average  annual
compensation  recognized by the plans for each of them was  $570,617,  $303,472,
$255,501, $246,852 and $179,449, respectively.

                                      A-10

<PAGE>

     The table below illustrates the amount of annual pension benefit that would
be payable  under the  supplementary  plans on a  straight  life  annuity  basis
beginning  at age 65 to a person  in a  specified  average  salary  and years of
service  classification  using for all years the maximum Social Security primary
insurance  amounts  for a  worker  retired  at  age  65 in  1996  and  estimated
retirement  benefits  payable  under the  Company's  current  qualified  defined
benefit retirement plan:*

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                            YEARS OF SERVICE
                     ---------------------------------------------------------------
   REMUNERATION          15           20           25           30            35
- ------------------   ----------   ----------   ----------   ----------   -----------
<S>                  <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>
$100,000 .........    $      0     $      0     $  3,706     $  7,668     $ 11,630
 125,000 .........           0        1,744        6,206       10,668       15,130
 150,000 .........           0        3,744        8,706       13,668       18,630
 175,000 .........       3,882       10,544       17,206       23,868       30,530
 200,000 .........      11,382       20,544       29,706       38,868       48,030
 225,000 .........      18,882       30,544       42,206       53,868       65,530
 250,000 .........      26,382       40,544       54,706       68,868       83,030
 300,000 .........      41,382       60,544       79,706       98,868      118,030
 400,000 .........      71,382      100,544      129,706      158,868      188,030
 500,000 .........     101,382      140,544      179,706      218,868      258,030
 600,000 .........     131,382      180,544      229,706      278,868      328,030
 700,000 .........     161,382      220,544      279,706      338,868      398,030
</TABLE>

- ----------
* The annual  benefits shown in the table have been reduced by the amount of any
  retirement  benefits payable pursuant to other qualified defined benefit plans
  of the  Company  and other  required  offset  items,  but does not reflect the
  offset  which  will be made for any  benefits  payable  under  any  applicable
  ENSERCH Corporation retirement plan (see text above).

     POOL COMPANY  RETIREMENT PLAN.  Prior to the Company's  acquisition of Pool
Company,  Pool Company had a defined  benefit  retirement plan (which was merged
into the ENSERCH Corporation Retirement and Death Benefit Program) that provided
for  a  fixed  benefit  for  salaried  employees  upon  retirement  at  age  65.
Participants who were employees of the Company ceased to accrue further benefits
thereunder  on the  completion  of the  Company's  acquisition  of Pool Company.
Payments under this plan are offsets under the supplemental executive retirement
plans discussed above.  Pursuant to the terms of such plan, Messrs.  Jongebloed,
Myers,  and Spillard are entitled to annuity  payments of $19,635,  $3,299,  and
$12,226,  respectively,  per annum for life commencing upon normal retirement at
age 65. Messrs. Hale and Arms were not participants in such plan.

   

     CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENTS. Messrs. Jongebloed, Myers, Spillard, Hale and
Arms each has entered  into amended and  restated  change in control  agreements
with the Company that set forth  certain  benefits that the Company will provide
to such officers in the event of a "change in control" or a "potential change in
control" of the Company, as defined in the agreements.  Such agreements continue
in effect until terminated by the Company upon specified notice and continue for
three years following a change in control of the Company and for the duration of
any potential change in control. The agreements each provide that if a change in
control occurs,  the officer shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the
"target  award"  provided  for in each of the Long  Term  Plans  that is then in
effect in which the officer  participates.  Such payment is to be made in shares
of Common  Stock to the extent the Long Term Plan  provides for payment in stock
and to the extent  shares are available  for such  purpose,  and otherwise  such
amount is to be paid in cash. The agreements also provide that all stock options
of the officer will become  fully  vested upon a change in control,  and provide
that if the officer's  employment is terminated by the Company or if the officer
elects to terminate  employment  under  certain  circumstances  defined as "good
reason" within three years  following a change in control of the Company,  or if
the officer's  employment is terminated while there exists a potential change in
control and a change in control  thereafter  occurs  within a certain  period of
time,  the  officer  will be  entitled  to a lump sum  severance  payment.  Such
severance  payment is to be equal to (i) three times the  officer's  annual base
salary (but not in excess of the  aggregate  base salary that could be earned up
to the officer's normal  retirement  date),  (ii) an amount equal to three times
the bonus award for achieving the target  performance  goals provided for in the
Company's management bonus plan for the year preceding that     

                                      A-11

<PAGE>

   

in which the change in control occurs, and (iii) at the officer's election,  the
value over the exercise price of unexercised  stock  options.  In addition,  the
officer  shall be  entitled to a  three-year  continuation  of certain  employee
benefits,  two additional years of service credit under the Company's retirement
program, and reimbursement of certain legal fees,  expenses,  and any applicable
excise taxes. The Company has entered into similar  agreements with twelve other
persons.     

                                   IMPORTANT

     Your  vote is  important,  no matter  how many or how few  shares of Common
Stock  you may own.  We urge you to vote  AGAINST  the  adoption  of the  Nabors
Resolution by:

     1. MARKING the enclosed GOLD proxy card,

     2. SIGNING the enclosed GOLD proxy card,

     3. DATING the enclosed GOLD proxy card, and

   4. MAILING the enclosed  GOLD proxy card TODAY in the  envelope  provided (no
      postage is required if mailing in the United States).

     IF ANY  SHARES OF COMMON  STOCK ARE HELD FOR YOUR  ACCOUNT IN THE NAME OF A
BROKERAGE FIRM, BANK, BANK NOMINEE OR OTHER  INSTITUTION,  ONLY SUCH INSTITUTION
CAN VOTE  YOUR  SHARES  AND ONLY UPON  RECEIPT  OF YOUR  SPECIFIC  INSTRUCTIONS.
ACCORDINGLY, PLEASE CONTACT THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACCOUNT AND INSTRUCT
THAT PERSON TO EXECUTE THE GOLD PROXY CARDS REPRESENTING YOUR SHARES. YOUR BOARD
ASKS YOU TO CONFIRM IN WRITING YOUR INSTRUCTIONS TO MACKENZIE PARTNERS,  INC. AT
THE ADDRESS  PROVIDED BELOW SO THAT YOUR BOARD WILL BE AWARE OF ALL INSTRUCTIONS
GIVEN AND CAN ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT SUCH INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED.

If you have any  questions  or need  assistance  in voting your GOLD proxy card,
please contact:

                                   MACKENZIE
                                 PARTNERS, INC.

                                156 Fifth Avenue
                            New York, New York 10010

           CALL TOLL-FREE (800) 322-2885 OR (212) 929-5500 (COLLECT)

                                      A-12


<PAGE>


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   PRELIMINARY COPY -- SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
                             DATED DECEMBER 9, 1998

                          [FORM OF PROXY CARD -- GOLD]

                            POOL ENERGY SERVICES CO.
                        SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

                                    *******
         THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
         IN OPPOSITION TO PROXIES SOLICITED BY NABORS INDUSTRIES, INC.


                                    *******

     The undersigned hereby constitutes, appoints and authorizes J.T. Jongebloed
and  James  L.  Payne,  and  each of them  severally,  as the  true  and  lawful
attorneys,   agents  and  proxies  of  the  undersigned,   with  full  power  of
substitution and  resubstitution,  to represent and to vote all shares of common
stock,  no par value, of Pool Energy Services Co. (the "Company") held of record
by the undersigned on December 9, 1998 at the Special Meeting of Shareholders to
be held at the  offices  of the  Company,  located  at  10375  Richmond  Avenue,
Houston,  Texas 77042, at 9:30 a.m., local time, on January 12, 1999, and at any
adjournment(s),  postponement(s) or rescheduling(s)  thereof, in accordance with
the instructions noted below, and with  discretionary  authority with respect to
such other matters,  not known or determined at the time of solicitation of this
Proxy,  as  may  properly  come  before  said  meeting  or  any  adjournment(s),
postponement(s) or rescheduling(s) thereof. Receipt of the Proxy Statement dated
December __, 1998 from the Board of  Directors  ("Proxy  Statement"),  is hereby
acknowledged.

     THIS  PROXY IS  SOLICITED  BY THE BOARD OF  DIRECTORS  AND WILL BE VOTED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE SHAREHOLDER'S  SPECIFICATION  HEREON. IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH
SPECIFICATION, THE PROXY WILL BE VOTED "AGAINST" THE PROPOSAL SET OUT BELOW.
================================================================================
     1. To consider and vote upon the Nabors  Resolution  set forth in the Proxy
Statement. A VOTE "AGAINST" THE NABORS RESOLUTION IS RECOMMENDED.

                    [ ]  AGAINST    [ ]  FOR   [ ]  ABSTAIN

     2. In their  discretion,  the  aforementioned  attorneys  and  proxies  are
authorized  to vote upon such other  matters  as may  properly  come  before the
Special Meeting or any adjournment(s), postponement(s) or rescheduling(s).

                                                  DATED:              , 199
                                                        -------------      ---


                                                  ----------------------------
                                                  Signature of Shareholder

                                                  ----------------------------
                                                  Title or Authority

                                                  ----------------------------
                                                  Signature of Shareholder (if
                                                  held jointly)

                                                  *Please sign as name  appears.
                                                   Joint   owners   each  should
                                                   sign.    When    signing   as
                                                   attorney,            trustee,
                                                   administrator,      executor,
                                                   etc.,  please  indicate  your
                                                   full title as such. If signor
                                                   is a corporation, please give
                                                   full  corporate  name by duly
                                                   authorized   officer.   If  a
                                                   partnership,  please  sign in
                                                   partnership      name      by
                                                   authorized person.


                PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND MAIL YOUR PROXY PROMPTLY.
                         PLEASE DO NOT FOLD THIS PROXY.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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