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Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Supply Chain

NE PA Audience Hears How to Plug in to the Marcellus Supply Chain
November 15, 2013November 15, 2013

The Marcellus means jobs and an economic boom for northeast Pennsylvania. That was the message delivered yesterday in Wilkes-Barre at a Marcellus forum hosted by State Sen. John Yudichak and State Sen. John Blake (both from the Scranton/W-B area). The forum was attended by over 100 people–local contractors, trade unions, small manufacturers and others. MDN friend John Augustine from the Marcellus Shale Coalition was one of the featured speakers, with lots of good tips for those who want to plug in to the Marcellus supply chain.

The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader was on hand and filed this helpful report:
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Economic Impact | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Processing Plants | Statewide WV | West Virginia | Wood County

BIG NEWS: West Virginia is Getting an Ethane Cracker Plant
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel is reporting that WV Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will make an announcement today that has been years in coming: West Virginia is getting its own “multi-billion-dollar ethane cracker chemical plant” and it will be located in Wood County. If this rumor, which seemingly originates with reliable sources, bears out, this is seriously good news for WV. In fact, we’re jumping up and down happy! For years MDN has been pulling/cheerleading/advocating for WV to get their own cracker–we think they deserve it.

The speculation is that Tomblin sealed a deal for a cracker plant on a recent European trade mission trip (see WV Gov Going to Europe to Find Him a Cracker). While he was in Europe, he said by phone he would have a big announcement a few days after he returned home. We speculated at the time, three weeks ago, that he might be talking about a cracker (see Did Gov Tomblin Find a European Investor for a WV Cracker Plant?). Was our speculation accurate? We will know today…
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Energy Companies | Energy Services | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Valerus | Washington County

EQT Hires Valerus for 2 New Compressor Stations in SW PA
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

Valerus, a Houston, TX-based company with a growing facility in Smithfield, PA manufactures/creates compression solutions–assembling the pipelines, valves, engines, etc.–that move natural gas through a pipeline. Think of them as the people that come in and install the guts of a compressor station.

EQT Corp., a major Marcellus Shale driller, has just hired Valerus to do just that–install new compression solutions at two compressor stations in southwest PA. It means more jobs and more investment on the way in PA…
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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Supply Chain | Trumbull County

Drilling-Related Manufacturer Brings 150 Jobs to Trumbull County
November 11, 2013November 11, 2013

Another huge positive economic impact from Marcellus/Utica Shale drilling is coming to eastern Ohio. Legacy Measurement Solutions Inc. of Addison, TX, a manufacturer of measurement equipment used in the oil and natural gas industry, is setting up a new 73,000 square foot plant in Trumbull County, OH early next year. The plant will “ramp up slowly” but will eventually employ 150 people. This is seriously good news for Brookfield, where the plant will be located, and Trumbull County in general.

More jobs, more tax revenues–it’s an economic boomlet from just one company…
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Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Mahoning County | NGLs | NiSource | Ohio | Pennant Midstream | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Utica Shale

OH Gov. Kasich Dedicates Hickory Bend Plant, No Foreigners Found
October 29, 2013October 29, 2013

Ohio Gov. John Kasich was on hand yesterday for a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the Hickory Bend cryogenic processing plant in Mahoning County, OH. Pennant Midstream, a joint venture of NiSource and Hilcorp’s Harvest Pipeline subsidiary, dedicated the plant by inviting Kasich and a number of state and local officials. The Hickory Bend processing plant separates natural gas liquids (NGLs or “wet gas”) from methane (or “dry gas”). It has been up and running since summer, however, it won’t begin shipping separated NGLs to the M3 Momentum fractionation plant in Kensington until December. Hickory Bend is also a network of 55 miles of wet gas gathering pipelines in the region.

Gov. Kasich had plenty to say as he dedicated the plant. In typical fashion he was there sniffing out “foreigners” and was happy to pronounce he didn’t find any. (For an example of Kasich’s obsession with “foreigners”–i.e. out of state workers–see OH Gov. Kasich Goes Foreigner-Hunting in Strasburg.) Kasich also dissed Pennsylvania in his comments. A handful of protesters were on hand for the ceremony, bleating about methane migration, but they were far enough away that nobody heard them…
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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Supply Chain | Trumbull County | Wastewater

3 More Wastewater Injection Wells on the Way in Trumbull County
October 28, 2013October 28, 2013

A small Ohio conventional natural gas drilling/excavating company is getting new life and expanding thanks to the Utica Shale. Kleese Development has applied to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) to re-purpose several vertical wells to be injection wells. Three older conventional natural gas wells located in Trumbull County, OH–on U.S. Route 422 near Templeton Road–will be converted to shale frack wastewater injection wells if the ODNR approves the project.

If the ODNR does approve the project, frack wastewater won’t be the only thing injected in Trumbull County. The company is also injecting money and jobs into the local economy…

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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

How Many New WV Jobs Go to Out-of-State Workers? We Can’t Know
October 28, 2013October 28, 2013

A developing issue in West Virginia is how many of the new jobs created in the state (which was up an astonishing 20% last year) are going to WV workers, and how many are going to out-of-state workers? According to WV’s 2011 Horizontal Well Control law, the annual report filed by the Dept. of Commerce’s Workforce West Virginia division is supposed to break it down. Problem is, both last year’s report and this year’s (recently issued, see Looking for a Job in the Marcellus? Think WV), does not provide the required in-state/out-of-state numbers.

Technically, Workforce WV is breaking the law by not providing the numbers–but not because it’s intentional. The one WV agency that could provide Worforce WV with the numbers they need for the report–the Revenue department–is prevented from doing so, by law. Talk about screwed up…
Read More “How Many New WV Jobs Go to Out-of-State Workers? We Can’t Know”
Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Looking for a Job in the Marcellus? Think WV
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

If you’re looking for a job in the natural gas industry, you may want to consider…West Virginia. According to a new report from the Workforce West Virginia Investment Council, employment in the oil and gas industry in WV jumped a dramatic 20% last year. Not only that, but the average wage of the average o&g worker in WV jumped $5,500 in just one year–to $75,580.

Perhaps a jump in o&g workers in WV is not all that surprising, but what may surprise you is that employment in the o&g pipeline sector doubled last year from around 2,000 to around 4,000–up more than 100%! Yes, WV is a happenin’ place when it comes to shale drilling…
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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Marcellus Credited with 90% of New Jobs in PA 2005-2012
October 17, 2013October 17, 2013

Does Marcellus Shale drilling generate real jobs? You bet it does. Try this statistic on for size: Of all the new jobs created in Pennsylvania from 2005-2012, 90% of them were created by the drilling industry. No, that’s not a misprint. Those numbers come from analysts at Raymond James, a highly respected financial services firm. In addition, new hires in core Marcellus Shale industries were up 35% in the second quarter of 2013 compared to the second quarter of 2010. As one RJ analyst said, “unconventional oil and gas is not just a flash in the pan.” It will be a job-creating engine for decades to come.

When someone tells you drilling doesn’t create jobs, tell them to go fly a kite…
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Beaver County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

Dow Disingenously Tells Shell to Forget About a PA Cracker Plant
October 8, 2013October 8, 2013

Manufacturing and labor leaders held a confab yesterday in Pittsburgh to discuss jobs, the economy, and how the Marcellus is lifting both in southwestern Pennsylvania (see our companion story today). One of the speakers at yesterday’s meeting was Peter Molinaro, vice president and senior advisor on government affairs for The Dow Chemical Co. One of Dow Chemical’s chief rivals and competitors is Shell Chemical. Shell, as MDN readers are well aware, is currently conducting a multi-year evaluation of whether or not to build a regional ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA, outside Pittsburgh about 30 miles.

It probably won’t surprise you that Dow’s Molinaro said at yesterday’s meeting that PA probably doesn’t need a cracker plant after all. Are Molinaro’s comments about a PA cracker wise and measured counsel from an industry participant who has a feel for the economics of U.S. manufacturing and what it truly needs? Or are his comments trash-talking a competitor in hopes of scuttling a deal and eliminating competition so more ethane will be pipelined to the Gulf–where Dow’s cracker plants are located? You decide…
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Allegheny County | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Washington County | Westmoreland County

Pittsburgh Summit: Marcellus the WD-40 of SW PA Rustbelt Economy
October 8, 2013October 8, 2013

Yesterday a group of manufacturing and labor leaders gathered at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers headquarters on Pittsburgh’s South Side to talk about the creation of more manufacturing jobs in the greater Pittsburgh area–specifically about how Marcellus Shale is changing the landscape and is a tremendous jobs creator in the region. Several publications attended and each put their own angle on what was said at the meeting.

MDN picks through the stories to bring you the bits and pieces we found interesting–news about how the Marcellus is changing the picture in southwest PA and beyond. One of those interesting tidbits: the chairman of the PA Public Utility Commission said Marcellus Shale gas has been responsible for power prices dropping an average 52% across the state–for everyone. Incredible! And a comparison between the Marcellus and WD-40…
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Energy Services | Halliburton | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Lewis County | Muskingum County | Ohio | West Virginia

Halliburton Shuts Down WV Cement Plant, Moves to OH
October 3, 2013October 3, 2013

In a move that’s sure to anger West Virginians, but make Ohioans happy, Halliburton announced Tuesday they’re shutting down their cement plant operations in Weston (Lewis County), WV and moving it 150 miles away to a new service center they’ve opened in Zanesville (Muskingum County), OH. No word on how many jobs in Weston are affected…
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Crude Oil | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | NGLs | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

U.S. Chamber’s Chris Guith Talks About Ohio Utica Shale
September 30, 2013September 30, 2013

Chris Guith is vice president for policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy. He’s also very familiar with the development of Ohio’s Utica Shale play. In a recent interview, Guith had some interesting comments on Ohio’s prospects for oil, NGL pipelines, industry jobs, regulations and more…
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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Licking County | Ohio

Pipe Welders Needed – Ohio’s C-TEC Will Train Them
September 27, 2013September 27, 2013

Want a good paying, hands-on job in the Marcellus or Utica Shale? Try welding. The Career and Technology Education Centers (C-TEC) in Licking County, OH recently launched a new 10-month-long structural and pipe welding fabrication course. Students who are willing to work hard will get an average $45/hour after they graduate…
Read More “Pipe Welders Needed – Ohio’s C-TEC Will Train Them”
Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Statewide WV | West Virginia

What’s the Average Weekly Salary for WV’s Marcellus Workers?
September 23, 2013September 23, 2013

An article from West Virginia does an excellent job of summarizing the wages of the average gas field worker employed during the drilling/extraction phase. WorkForce West Virginia tracks how many workers are employed full-time in various counties in WV in the gas & oil business. If you average it out, workers (mostly manual laborers) are making anywhere from an average $537 per week (in Roane County) to $1,430 per week (in Doddridge County). Guess which county we’d rather be working in?

Here’s a county by county rundown:
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Allegheny County | Chevron | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania

Chevron Wins 1st Approval for New Regional HQ Near Pittsburgh
September 20, 2013September 20, 2013

In May MDN told you about Chevron’s purchase of a 61-acre site in the suburbs of Pittsburgh where they plan to build a huge, 350,000 square foot office complex that will be home to 1,750 people when it’s done (see Chevron to Build New (Big) Regional HQ in Pittsburgh Suburb). It is an important sign that Chevron is committed–in a big way–to the Marcellus and Utica Shale.

On Wednesday the Chevron project moved one step closer to reality when Moon Township officials gave it their thumbs up…
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