As M-U Drilling Picks Up, So Do Opportunities for Supply Chain Cos.
Wondering how your business can profit from the Marcellus/Utica with production and drilling on the increase once again? A new report released by the Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia (EMA) initiative highlights growing opportunities for Appalachian manufacturers within the expanding shale gas upstream sector. This growth is primarily fueled by surging electricity demand from new digital infrastructure, including AI data centers. The report details how regional manufacturers can supply essential components for drilling, well construction, and surface operations, such as pipe fittings, valves, pumps, cement, and pressure vessels. The M-U currently accounts for nearly one-third of U.S. natural gas output. Local manufacturers are well-positioned to support this critical industry’s evolving supply chain needs. It’s time to make some money! Read More “As M-U Drilling Picks Up, So Do Opportunities for Supply Chain Cos.”
Fox Tank Company is one of the leading oil storage tank manufacturers in Texas, serving the growing oil field production needs of the Eagle Ford Shale, Permian Basin, and Bakken Shale areas. Chip Rogers, president of Fox Tank, traveled to Coshocton, OH, for an equipment auction at the former Crozier Welding in March. He liked what he saw and decided to stay. Fox is interested in servicing the Marcellus/Utica region. The company leased the former Crozier Welding site in June after being welcomed “with open arms” by local officials.
Fox Tank Company, a Texas-based provider of steel storage tanks and pressurized separation vessels for the oil and gas industry, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Coshocton County, OH, at the former site of Crozier Welding. Fox has pledged to invest $7.9 million and create 89 new jobs at the facility. Fox chose the site due to its proximity to the growing Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling for oil and gas, as well as its proximity to the company’s existing customers. 
How often have we read that shale energy doesn’t create jobs and isn’t the economic boom to local communities as advertised. The enviro-left peddles the lie that oil and gas companies get fat on profits while everyone else suffers. We have the perfect story that exposes the left’s lies about the economic benefits of shale energy—and it comes from Youngstown, OH. Dearing Compressor & Pump designs and manufactures compressor packages for three major business lines including natural gas pipelines. 
The great folks at Steel Nation, headquartered in Canonsburg, PA, have built over 2,200 compressor stations and other structures for the oil and gas industry in the Marcellus/Utica (and beyond) over the past 17 years. Last November, Steel Nation announced it had launched a new division to build electric microgrids for companies looking to create their on-site power plants to ensure their operations run efficiently 24/7/365 (see 
We’re a sucker for a railroad story. There’s something magical about railroads, dontcha think? We spotted a railroad story that ties in with the Marcellus/Utica. Yesterday morning, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) voted to approve a project (and back it with a grant) in Youngstown, Ohio. It is a significant, large-scale project by the Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad to create what will be called the Lansingville Yard. The new yard will serve customers related to the M-U, including the Shell ethane cracker in nearby Beaver County. 
Last Friday, former President Donald J. Trump held a rally in Johnstown (Cambria County), PA, in the southwestern part of the state. A key focus of the meeting was energy and Trump’s support of PA energy versus Kamala Harris’ position of being against fracking (contrary to her recent flip-flop on the issue). During the rally, Mark Caskey, founder of Steel Nation (builds many of the compress plants and other buildings for the Marcellus Shale industry), addressed the crowd, promoting the Marcellus and knocking Harris’ fracking flip-flop. Trump was so impressed he called Mark back to the stage. 
Incorporated in 1988, Environmental Service Laboratories, Inc. (ESL) is an environmental testing laboratory based in Indiana, PA, providing various analytical testing, consulting, and field sampling services. ESL customers include Marcellus/Utica natural gas drilling companies, industrial facilities, municipalities, engineering firms, local/state/federal government, and the general public. ESL is accredited to test drinking water, wastewater, soil, solid materials, natural gas, frozen dairy products, and meat. ESL has just sold itself for an undisclosed amount to Pace Analytical Services, based in Minneapolis, MN.
Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc.
On Monday, local business leaders in Jefferson County, OH, were treated to an update on the Utica Shale and how local manufacturers can benefit from the growth in the shale industry. According to Robert Naylor, executive director for the Jefferson County Port Authority, “the (purpose) of the workshop was to stress or demonstrate how the business community — vendors and manufacturers — could enter the energy supply chain to create jobs, workforce development and overall economic game for our region.” Two powerhouse speakers from 
It finally seems as if economic activity is picking up once again in the Marcellus/Utica. And we don’t mean just shale drillers and pipeline companies. The companies that supply those companies–the supply chain–is seeing an uptick in business, according to an article appearing in the Pittsburgh Business Times. Companies like U.S. Steel, MSA, and Steel Nation are reporting strong increases in sales in 2022.
We spotted a story that, while not uncommon, has us scratching our head. The story is about yet another company in the oil and gas industry touting its conversion to electricity as a way to improve the climate and the company’s own ESG credibility. In this case, the company manufactures, fabricates, rents, sells, and maintains natural gas compression technology for oil and natural gas upstream providers and midstream facilities. Does the following strike you as odd?…