By Adam Wilmoth Energy Editor awilmoth@oklahoman.comSandRidge Energy Inc. on Wednesday laid off 440 employees as the Oklahoma City oil and natural gas company continues to cut costs because of falling oil prices. "After the prolonged contraction in commodity prices resulting in significant reductions in our activity levels and after evaluating all alternatives, we determined the need to reduce the size of our workforce to match the level of activity," CEO James Bennett told The Oklahoman on Wednesday. Severance packages were not detailed, but Bennett said affected employees were given "very reasonable and fair consideration."Read more on NewsOK.com