The possible plant closure, which could cost around 2,000 jobs, is part of a global restructuring plan announced in September that could see CAT cutting as many as 10,000 jobs globally in the coming years.
The collapse of oil prices has ground shale drilling to a halt, but the one region where drilling is still active, and even increasing, is in West Texas.
Experts warn Canada's mining industry faces a looming risk it's not ready to deal with — lack of access to workers with the skills needed in an upswing.