Fluor Corp. (FLR), an engineering and construction company that works in the oil and gas sector, has eliminated 500 jobs after a client canceled a portion of an overseas project, a company spokesman said Thursday.

The Irving, Texas based company eliminated the positions at its Sugar Land, Texas office. "A number of different engineering disciplines were affected," said company spokesman Keith Stephens.

Some employees may be reassigned to other parts of the company, Stephens said.

About 3,000 people work at the Sugar Land office and 42,000 work for the company worldwide.

Stephens declined to give more specifics about the client and the project. The global economic slowdown has led to a decline in the demand for oil and gas, consequently many new project have been slowed or canceled.

-By Susan Daker, Dow Jones Newswires; (713) 547-9208; susan.daker@dowjones.com