Ok, enough cheer leading, but what is happening in the oil and gas industry excites and pleases me. The following articles just refer to the Marcellus Shale Play in the Appalachian Basin in the northeastern U.S. There are many other such plays, some being developed, some not thought of yet. I think things are looking up. Let's keep it going.
Peter
June 4, 2012 | PERMALINK | @MarcellusGas
What
They’re Saying: American Natural Gas
“Offers Hope in Hard Times”
“Offers Hope in Hard Times”
Pittsburgh, Pa. – There
is no question that the U.S., and global, economy continue to face historic
challenges. In spite of the many ongoing economic recovery and job creation
hurdles impacting countless families and businesses across the nation, the
responsible development of clean-burning American natural gas remains a silver lining. Indeed, American natural
gas is offering “hope in hard times” and is Building a Stronger, More Secure America.
Here’s what they’re saying:
·
Fmr. Pa.
Gov., Phila. Mayor and DNC Chairman Ed Rendell: This
influx of jobs and investment spurred an unprecedented economic boom for our
state and, thanks to a resource found right here in Pennsylvania, this economic
revitalization continues. Cheap, clean, and abundant energy is available to
heat our homes, fuel our cars and trucks, and power our state’s economy. It’s
not a campaign slogan, it’s reality. … While improved air quality and
savings at the pump are key advantages of natural-gas vehicles (NGVs), the
most critical benefit is our increased economic, energy, and national security.
America’s dependence on foreign oil puts our citizens and our economy in
jeopardy. Year after year, as OPEC continues to raise the price of oil, we
cannot afford to continue relying on unstable, undemocratic regimes to provide
our energy. Natural gas offers a solution, an American solution, produced
right here in Pennsylvania. … Despite these overwhelming benefits,
there is a misunderstanding that residents must make a choice between
protecting the environment and ensuring the dependable production of sufficient
energy for power generation and transportation. This is a false choice.
Pennsylvania can have both. … Natural gas can foster an economic,
environmental, and security revitalization for our country and our state.
(Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed, 6/3/12)
· Pa. DEP Secretary Michael
Krancer: Our ability to unlock the huge clean burning energy source
contained in unconventional shale formations has transformed Pennsylvania into
an energy exporter and will ultimately move our nation toward energy
self-sufficiency. In addition, we are looking at an economic and energy
transformation. We have already seen tens of thousands of new jobs
here in Pennsylvania from the industry itself as well as from new industries
spawned to support it. These are good paying career jobs in many
fields. And that is just the start. There will be hundreds of thousands more
good paying skilled and unskilled jobs in a variety of sectors.
(Congressional testimony, 5/31/12)
·
“America’s
Shale-Gas Revolution Offers Hope in Hard Times”: The
story of America’s shale-gas revolution offers hope in hard times.
… America’s shale-gas industry has since drilled 20,000 wells, created
hundreds of thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly, and provided
lots of cheap gas. This is a huge advantage to American industry
and a relief to those who fret about American energy security. … America’s
emissions have fallen by 450m tonnes in the past five years, more than any
other country’s. (The Economist, 6/2/12)
·
“Shale Gas
Boom Could Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to U.S., Economists Say”: The
shale gas boom hitting Ohio, Pennsylvania and several other states could
provide a major advantage to manufacturers in the United States -- cheap energy
that could significantly cut the costs to produce goods here, a group of
economists said Thursday. "By 2025, the manufacturing sector alone could
save $11.5 billion in energy costs," Robert McCutcheon, an economist with
consulting group PwC, said at a manufacturing summit hosted by the Federal
Reserve Bank of Cleveland. McCutcheon's company, formerly called
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, released a study late last year predicting that as
many as 1 million new U.S. manufacturing jobs could come from lower-cost energy.
(Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/1/12)
·
American
Natural Gas Has Had an “Astonishing” Economic Impact, “Continues to Amaze”: America’s
“unconventional” gas boom continues to amaze. … America’s gas boom
confers a huge economic advantage. It has created hundreds of thousands
of jobs, directly and indirectly. And it has rejuvenated several
industries, including petrochemicals, where ethane produced from natural gas is
a feedstock. … This is astonishing. Barely five years ago America
was expected to be a big gas importer. Between 2000 and 2010 it built
infrastructure to regasify over 100 billion cubic metres (bcm) of imported
liquefied natural gas (LNG). Yet in 2011 American LNG imports were less than 20
bcm. … So long as well-shafts are properly sealed, there is hardly any risk
that fracking will poison groundwater. (The Economist, 6/2/12)
·
Marcellus
Shale Creating Blue-Collar Union Jobs in Western Pa.: Two
skilled laborers toil around an automated pipe-cutting machine at Chapman
Corp.’s new $6.6 million pipe fabrication shop, using laser precision
technology that cuts the man-hours for a job from a full day to a half-hour. Nearby
a custom-built “shake and bake” paint room allows the company to reduce the
time it takes to paint pipelines for the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry
from two days to eight hours or less, said Ron Delsandro, shop coordinator.
“We can get that order out a day sooner,” Delsandro said Friday when the Washington-based
company held an open house for the new shop, which is as long as two football
fields. That’s how much of a demand there to meet the pipeline needs of
the gas and oil industry, which is booming across Washington and
Greene counties. (Washington Observer-Reporter, 6/1/12)
· Clean-Burning Natural Gas
Boosts Family Farmers: The oil and gas boom in western Pennsylvania has provided
a much-needed infusion of capital to farmers in that area, members of
the Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau learned during a trip to the Keystone State
on Tuesday. “It’s had mostly a good impact,” said Steve Quillin, local Farm
Bureau president. “Just driving around, we saw farmers making improvements
and updates to their properties.” Money from oil and gas leases has
allowed agriculture to expand, added Jerry Lahmers, chairman of the policy
development committee for the organization. … The boom has benefited others
beside farmers. Quillin said the owner of the restaurant where they ate
lunch has seen his business triple in the past year.The oil and gas boom in western Pennsylvania has provided
a much-needed infusion of capital to farmers in that area, members of the
Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau learned during a trip to the Keystone State on
Tuesday.“It’s had mostly a good impact,” said Steve Quillin, local Farm Bureau
president. “Just driving around, we saw farmers making improvements and updates
to their properties.” (New Philadelphia Times Reporter, 6/2/12)
·
American
Natural Gas Creating Local Jobs: Low-cost natural gas also
produces cheap fertilizer for farmers, thus lowering food prices, and feedstock
for chemical plants, for cheaper plastics and other basic materials. Industries
can now return to the United States and provide jobs locally. (Washington
Times op-ed, 5/29/12)
·
“Phila.
Gas Works Lowers Prices To Natural Gas Customers”: Good
news for PGW natural gas customers: your monthly bill is going down.
The Philadelphia Gas Works is lowering the price of natural gas by 2½ percent,
and that should save the average customer more than $34 per year, according to
spokesman Barry O’Sullivan. “Supply right now is abundant.” … O’Sullivan says
this is the fifth quarter in a row without a rate increase, and compared to
this time last year the average customer is paying $181 less for natural gas.
(CBS Philly, 6/1/12)
·
More
Natural Gas Jobs En Route to the Rust Belt: A natural-gas
processing hub being developed in a partnership between Chesapeake Midstream
Development, M3 Midstream and EV Energy Partners will be located on state Route
151 northwest of Scio, a North Township trustee has told Harrison County
commissioners. ... The hub will receive and process natural-gas liquids, such
as propane and butane, that are being extracted from Ohio’s Utica Shale. The
facility is expected to be one of the largest of its kind in eastern Ohio and will
create 50 to 125 jobs. (New Philadelphia Times Reporter, 6/1/12)
·
Building a
Strong Local Workforce: Gas companies and the people who want to
work for them packed the Wyoming County Fairgrounds Friday for the inaugural
Business, Job and Gas Expo. The Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce has held
annual job fairs for more than a decade and three years ago began hosting a
yearly natural gas expo to connect local businesses and the emerging drilling
industry, but this year’s fair was the first to unite the two concepts. … “When
we’re looking for employees we are finding folks who are locals who have the
skills,” said Helen Humphreys of gas-infrastructure company Williams. “As I
look forward from two years ago there’s been a tremendous amount of
collaboration between education and the industry.” (Times Leader, 6/2/12)
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