Tuesday, April 28, 2026
A Canadian clean technology company has established its U.S. headquarters in Oklahoma City, reinforcing the region’s role as a hub for energy innovation as the industry continues to evolve.
Kathairos Solutions formally opened its U.S. office in August 2025 in the historic Pontiac Building in Automobile Alley, placing its American operations near customers, partners and key oil and gas basins across the country.
The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber worked in partnership with regional and state partners to support Kathairos Solutions during its site selection process, connecting the company with local industry leaders and resources. The project reflects broader efforts to attract companies operating at the intersection of energy, technology and emissions reduction.
“Oklahoma City continues to attract companies that are shaping the future of energy,” said Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “Kathairos Solutions’ decision to locate its U.S. headquarters here reflects both the strength of our existing energy sector and the opportunity to lead in areas like emissions reduction and innovation.”
“Choosing Oklahoma City wasn’t a difficult decision — it was an obvious one once we took a hard look at what we needed to build a serious U.S. commercial operation,” said John “Bunkie” Westerheide, chief revenue officer of Kathairos Solutions, who is based in Oklahoma City.
He pointed to proximity to customers and partners, as well as the concentration of senior energy leadership in the region, as key advantages for the company’s growth.
Kathairos has deployed its methane reduction technology across North America and is now scaling its U.S. presence from Oklahoma City, where the company is already working with several regional operators and industry partners.
A strategic entry point into the U.S. market
Oklahoma City offers direct access to major oil and gas regions, including the Anadarko, Permian and Eagle Ford basins, allowing Kathairos to efficiently support operations across multiple markets from a single location.
“Oklahoma City puts us within a day’s travel of virtually every major producing basin in the continental United States,” Westerheide said. “For a company growing as quickly as Kathairos has, that kind of reach matters.”
The company is actively serving Oklahoma-based operators and has established a industry collaboration with Kimray, a long-standing Oklahoma City manufacturer specializing in pneumatic control equipment.
Westerheide said the concentration of energy leadership in Oklahoma City has also played a key role in accelerating growth.
“Being part of that same business community changes the nature of the relationships you’re able to build,” he said. “These aren’t regional managers; they are enterprise-level decision-makers shaping how the industry operates at scale.”
Addressing a widespread emissions challenge
Kathairos focuses on eliminating methane emissions from pneumatic devices, which are widely used in oil and gas production and represent one of the largest sources of routine emissions in the industry.
Pneumatic controllers and pumps are the single largest source of routine methane emissions in upstream oil and gas production, making them a significant opportunity for emissions reduction.
Traditionally, these systems rely on natural gas to power valves and controls, resulting in small but continuous releases of methane during normal operation. Kathairos replaces that gas with liquid nitrogen, allowing equipment to function without venting methane into the atmosphere.
The system operates without external power and requires minimal maintenance, making it well-suited for remote and large-scale deployments.
The growing focus on methane mitigation is being driven by a combination of regulatory expectations, investor pressure, and advances in monitoring technology.
“Emissions performance is becoming a real factor in market access, capital allocation and the social license to operate,” Westerheide said.
Scaling impact across North America
Kathairos has deployed its technology at more than 3,000 sites across North America and is approaching a milestone of eliminating 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
“We didn’t get there with a single large installation — we got there one well site at a time,” Westerheide said.
The company’s emissions reductions are measured and verified through its internal monitoring platform, giving operators real-time visibility into performance across their operations.
Growth and outlook
As Kathairos continues to expand its U.S. footprint, Oklahoma City is expected to remain central to its growth strategy.
The company plans to add both commercial and technical roles locally to support its growing customer base and is evaluating the potential for a field operations presence in the Anadarko Basin as deployment activity increases.
“Our growth in OKC is a direct reflection of the relationships we’ve built here,” Westerheide said. “Every new role we add is an investment in those partnerships and in this community.”
Westerheide said companies focused on emissions reduction, operational efficiency and performance transparency will play an increasingly important role in the future of energy production.
“My hope is that more companies focused on where the energy industry is going choose to build here,” he said. “Companies working at the intersection of energy, technology and emissions performance belong in OKC.”
