Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wednesday, Nov 23, 2011

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:

Commissioners Urge Drillers to Hire Local
Wheeling News Register
The Ohio County Commission joined six other Ohio Valley counties in support of hiring local residents for Marcellus Shale jobs.

Guest Viewpoint: Fracking has been proven safe for years
Star-Gazette
In 1982, the oil and gas industries were asking for more permits to drill in or near the Jamestown aquifer, the source for drinking water for 31,000 people.

Environmentalists: Ohio gas drill rules fall short
Herald Star Online
Proponents and industry groups say proposed new regulations on gas and oil drilling in the state would be some of the toughest in the nation if adopted, but environmentalists and local officials complain they don’t go far enough, especially in protecting public health.

Some think a gas boom can reignite Ohio’s manufacturing economy
Cleveland.com
He builds trailers that go onto the backs of trucks. He builds the tankers that can haul water to drilling rigs, the heavy-duty trailers that lug the rock and sand needed for gas wells.

Youngstown to Host State Shale Conference Nov. 30
WYFX-TV Youngstown
As development continues of the region’s Utica and Marcellus shale mineral deposits, the Youngstown area is being seen as a potential hub of activity.

Obama’s Green Energy Fail
Accuracy In Media
Watching Secretary of Energy Steven Chu face nearly five hours of grilling by a congressional committee seeking answers to the multi-billion dollar loss taxpayers have taken after the department dispensed their money in pursuit of its Green energy program was a reminder that ideology is not a substitute for reality.

Industry Hosting Job Fair to Attract Oil and Gas Employment
State Journal
Authors of that study had expressed concern that there was a need for workforce development to take advantage of the potential shale boom. "Within the Marcellus shale play, natural gas operators typically lack the skilled workforce that is required for…

Abandoned Wells May Complicate New Marcellus Leases
State Journal
For some mineral owners, an abandoned gas well may complicate the possibility of negotiating a more profitable lease in the Marcellus shale. "Lots of leases are being held by non-producing wells, and people don’t know it or don’t have the knowledge or…

Propane substitutes for water in shale fracking
Reuters
Many controversies surround hydraulic fracturing of underground shale deposits in the quest for oil and gas, but a small Canadian oilfield services company has pioneered a way around one of them: the use of prodigious amounts of water in the process.

HDD in Marcellus Country: Where ‘Boring’ Means Exciting
Trenchless Technology
Well done, you. Your geologists found natural gas hiding thousands of feet underground.