New OH Group Agrees with Gov. Kasich: Keep the Foreigners Out
Echoing the same sentiment expressed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich that out-of-state workers are considered "foreigners" (see OH Gov. Kasich Continues Trash Talk Out-of-State Workers), a grassroots group in Ohio has formed to "protect" Ohio workers and lobby and "hold energy companies accountable" for hiring more Ohioans for Utica Shale oil and gas drilling jobs. The group, called Protecting Ohio Workers, Employing Residents (or POWER for short), issued the following press release on Wednesday:
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At the recent winter meeting of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, OOGA presented the DeBrosse Memorial Report: 2012 Oil and Gas Activity in Ohio. Chock-full of interesting charts and maps showing who drilled wells in Ohio, where they drilled them and how far (distance) the wells were drilled, the report (full copy embedded below) is a must-read if you have an interest in the Utica Shale.
Yesterday morning the new acting CEO of Chesapeake Energy, Steve Dixon, delivered his first investors talk as CEO. One of the primary parts of that talk—indeed we would say the centerpiece—were remarks about the Utica Shale and its importance for Chesapeake as they move forward. According to Dixon, Chesapeake’s production in the Utica for 2012 will show lower numbers than otherwise possible because of lack of pipelines and processing plants. Dixon says that will soon change, and so too will their production numbers.
Saying that “so far” Ohio has not seen any violence from extremist anti-drilling environmentalist groups—but that they do expect violence—the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s (OSHP) Central Intelligence Unit is now monitoring groups like Earth First! and Appalachian Resist. The OSHP says: “…some of these groups are considered domestic terrorists or vandals.”