Key Energy Services, Inc.
                          Two Tower Center, 20th Floor
                           East Brunswick, New Jersey



                                                         As of January 4, 1999

William C. McCurdy
2342 West Briargate
Bryan, Texas 77802

                                                EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                                                 (this "Agreement")

Dear Bill:

Key Energy Services,  Inc., a Maryland  corporation formerly known as Key Energy
Group, Inc. (the ACompany@), with its principal offices at the address set forth
above,  and you,  an  individual  with your  address set forth  above,  agree as
follows:
         
1.   Employment; Term. The Company agrees to employ you, and you agree to devote
     your  full time and best  efforts  to serve as a Vice  President  - Eastern
     Operations of the Company.  Your employment  will commence  effective as of
     January 4, 1999 (the  ACommencement  Date@) and continue until the close of
     business  on January 3, 2002,  subject to  extension  as  provided  in this
     Section 1(a),  unless sooner  terminated in accordance  with this Agreement
     (the  AInitial  Employment  Period@).  On each January 4,  commencing  with
     January 4, 2000, the term of your employment will be automatically extended
     for a period of twelve (12) months  unless  either you or the Company gives
     written  notice to the other,  no later than  thirty (30) days prior to the
     relevant  January 4, that such  automatic  extension  shall not occur.  The
     Initial Employment Period, together with any extensions,  until termination
     in accordance herewith is referred to herein as the AEmployment Period.@





                                                               3
2.   Salary; Bonus; Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Company will pay
     a salary  to you at the  annual  rate of not less  than One  Hundred  Sixty
     Thousand  Dollars  ($160,000)  per year (the  ABase  Salary@),  payable  in
     substantially  equal installments in accordance with the Company=s existing
     payroll  practices,  but no less frequently  than monthly.  For each fiscal
     year of the Company  commencing  after June 30, 1998, you shall be eligible
     to  participate  in an incentive  plan for the  Company=s  executives,  key
     employees and other persons involved in the business of the Company and its
     subsidiaries  (the  AIncentive  Plan@)  and  in the  Company=s  stock-based
     incentive plans  outstanding  from time to time.  Under the Incentive Plan,
     you shall be eligible to earn a cash bonus, payable within ninety (90) days
     after  each  fiscal  year end,  of up to fifty  percent  (50%) of your Base
     Salary,  such amount to be  determined by the Board based upon the level of
     achievement  of certain  goals to be  mutually  established  by you and the
     President  of  the  Company  (subject  to  Board  approval).  You  will  be
     reimbursed by the Company for reasonable  travel,  lodging,  meal and other
     expenses  incurred  by you in  connection  with  performing  your  services
     hereunder in accordance  with the  Company=s  policies from time to time in
     effect. You will be entitled to a vehicle allowance of $700 per month (plus
     reimbursement  for fuel and excess mileage in accordance with the Company=s
     expense reimbursement policies from time to time in effect).

3.   Benefit Plans; Vacations. You will be entitled during the Employment Period
     to not  less  than  15  vacation  days  and  such  other  fringe  benefits,
     including,  without limitation,  group medical and dental,  life, executive
     life, accident and disability insurance,  retirement plans and supplemental
     and excess retirement benefits as the Company may provide from time to time
     for its senior management.




     4.   Severance.  In the event you are  terminated  (i) by the Company other
          than for Cause (defined  below) or (ii)  automatically  as a result of
          the Company=s  providing notice to you that automatic extension of the
          Employment  Period  shall not occur,  you will be  entitled to receive
          severance  compensation  at your Base  Salary at the  monthly  rate in
          effect on the termination  date,  payable  monthly in arrears,  during
          that period of time after the termination  date equal to the Severance
          Period (defined below); provided,  however, that (A) in the event your
          employment  should be  terminated  by the Company other than for Cause
          within six months  following a Change of Control (defined below) or in
          anticipation  of a  Change  of  Control,  the  severance  compensation
          referred  to  above  shall be paid in one lump sum on the date of such
          termination, and (B) in the event your employment should be terminated
          by the  Company  as a result of your  disability,  then the  severance
          compensation  referred  to above shall be reduced by the amount of any
          disability insurance proceeds actually paid to you or for your benefit
          during  the  Severance  Period.  As used in this  Agreement,  the term
          ACause@  shall  mean  the  willful  and  continued  failure  by you to
          substantially  perform  your  duties  hereunder  (other  than any such
          willful or continued  failure  resulting  from your  incapacity due to
          physical  or  mental  illness  or  physical  injury),  or the  willful
          engaging by you in  misconduct  which is  materially  injurious to the
          Company,  monetarily or otherwise, or your conviction of a felony by a
          court of competent jurisdiction.  As used in this Agreement,  the term
          AChange  of  Control@  shall  have that  meaning  set forth in the Key
          Energy Group, Inc. 1997 Incentive Plan. As used in this Agreement, the
          term  ASeverance  Period@  shall mean a period of time equal to either
          (i) 12 months or (ii) the number of months  that has  passed  from the
          Commencement  Date through the date of  termination  rounded up to the
          next whole month, whichever period of time is shorter.


      
     5.   Period. The compensation pursuant to Section 4 hereof), you shall not,
          directly  or  indirectly,  without  the prior  written  consent of the
          Company,  participate  or engage in,  whether as a director,  officer,
          employee, advisor, consultant,  stockholder,  partner, joint venturer,
          owner or in any other capacity,  any business  engaged in the business
          of furnishing oilfield services (a ACompeting Enterprise@);  provided,
          however,  that you shall not be deemed to be participating or engaging
          in any such  business  solely by virtue of your  ownership of not more
          than five percent of any class of stock or other  securities  which is
          publicly traded on a national  securities  exchange or in a recognized
          over-the-counter  market; and, for that same period of time, you shall
          not, directly or indirectly, solicit, raid, entice or otherwise induce
          any employee of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries to be employed
          by a Competing  Enterprise.  You hereby agree and  acknowledge  that a
          portion of the consideration to be paid by the Company to you pursuant
          to this  Agreement  is  consideration  for your  covenants  under this
          Section 5 and such  consideration  is fair and adequate whether or not
          you receive any severance compensation pursuant to Section 4 hereof.
     
     6.   Termination  of Prior  Agreements.  Effective  as of the  Commencement
          Date,  all prior  agreements  and  understandings  between you and the
          Company  regarding  your  employment  relationship  with the  Company,
          whether oral or written (including that certain  Employment  Agreement
          dated as of January 4, 1999 that may or may not have been  executed by
          you and the former Chief Operating Officer of the Company), are hereby
          terminated and of no further force or effect.

If this  Agreement  correctly  sets forth your  understanding  of the  agreement
between the Company and you,  please  indicate your agreement  hereto by signing
this Agreement in the space for that purpose below.
                                                 
                                       KEY ENERGY SERVICES, INC.


                                       By:                               
                                          Francis D. John
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

ACCEPTED AND AGREED:



William C. McCurdy
Date:    May 11, 1999 (but to be effective as of January 4, 1999)