MSC President Underscores Industry’s Commitment to ‘Getting it Right’: “Game-changer” and “revolution” are two words being thrown around to describe the Marcellus shale, a natural gas industry spokeswoman said. And, the potential impact that shale drilling can have — on the economy, on communities, on the environment — just underscores the importance for the industry to get it right, especially with the entire world watching. That was the message of Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. … Klaber added that there are no second chances for getting it right. “The way I see it, we’ve got on opportunity to get this historic opportunity right,” Klaber said, “and I can really, very confidently speak for the industry as to how the folks that are in this industry every day are committed to doing that.” (Blairsville Dispatch, 12/10/10)

Gov. Tom Ridge: The Natural Gas Industry is Committed to Getting ‘It Right’: Former Gov. Tom Ridge talked about how he is working to guide development of the Marcellus shale play in Pennsylvania. … He focused his comments on the Marcellus shale play and the principles the Coalition has adopted. “We work hard every single day to make sure we’re doing this in a way I would insist on had I been governor,” Ridge said. “We only get one chance to do it right. At the end of the day, we have an extraordinary opportunity to build more miles of rail lines, have more Pennsylvanians employed and invest in Pennsylvania.” (Wellsboro Gazette, 12/8/10)

Marcellus Pioneer Range Resources Projects 1,000 Pa. Jobs: “Range Resources Corp. could employ 1,000 workers in Western Pennsylvania five to eight years from now, an executive said Wednesday as the natural gas producer marked the start of construction on its new Appalachian offices. The Fort Worth-based company has 300 employees now in the region and 400 across Pennsylvania. All but about 20 are from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, Ray N. Walker Jr., senior vice president of Marcellus operations, said at the building site in the Southpointe II complex in Cecil in Washington County. … “Brick and mortar is one of the most visible signs of the hiring and the permanent commitment that (gas production) companies are making in Pennsylvania,” said Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. (Tribune-Review, 12/9/10)

PA Workforce Development Official: ‘[Natural] Gas Related Industry is Our Big Gold Rush for Pennsylvania’: “[Richard Stetz, CareerLink regional manager] said mainly because of the natural gas drilling industry, the area has “lots to look forward to. More so than other parts of the country.” “Gas related industry is our big gold rush for Pennsylvania and don’t forget oil, which they say is under the shale,” he said, adding, “usually this is a slow period for us, but we are as busy as ever. Now all you see are triaxle trucks so things are booming.” (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 12/11/13)

Gov. Ridge: ‘U.S. Security in Natural Gas’: “What we have is natural gas,” Ridge said. “It’s here, it’s secure.” Now retired from public life, at least temporarily, Ridge has his own company and is a strategic adviser to the Marcellus Shale Coalition, which oversees natural gas exploration and production in the deep reserves beneath the Pennsylvania soil and neighboring areas of the Northeast. Shale gas has pushed the United States into uncharted territories for finding and using the domestic fuel and helping wean the nation off imported oil, he said. “I think it’s time we put America at the head of the global energy parade,” Ridge said. “That’s our mission; that’s not a mirage.” … Natural gas also has a clean energy component for powering electrical generation plants: it has half the carbon emissions of coal and basically zero particle emissions, Ridge said. (The Oklahoman, 12/10/10)

MD State Senator Says Marcellus Production Key to ‘Making us Energy-Independent’: “Western Maryland’s role as the state’s energy frontier doesn’t bother state Sen. George C. Edwards, a Republican who represents Garrett and Allegany counties. He says the income and jobs from each energy project are badly needed in communities where unemployment is higher than average. “We’re the only place in the state that has energy, except for wind,” Edwards said. “This country should be energy-independent. We ought to be part of making us energy-independent.” (Balitmore Sun, 12/13/10)

Marcellus Providing an Opportunity for Region to be ‘a Leader in Energy Development’: “Ms. Klaber [of the Marcellus Shale Coalition] showed a map of Marcellus wells by Pennsylvania county and discussed the current and future economic impact of shale development. “There’s a lot of opportunity for this part of the country to be a leader in energy development,” she said. (Post-Gazette, 12/9/10)

Economic Development Group Says Marcellus is Sending Rail Industry Booming: “Four new sand silos have gone up on Growth Resources of Wellsboro property in Delmar Township, reported organization Secretary Mary Worthington, and four more will be going up in 2011, all due to the natural gas industry, she said. “Wellsboro and Corning Railroad is busy,” she added. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 12/11/13)

Responsible U.S. Shale Gas Production Soars, Driving Down Energy Prices for Struggling Consumers

‘Happy Holidays,’ PA Consumers: Marcellus Production, Natural Gas Helping to Keep Home-Heating Costs Down: “Even though natural gas drilling is up, the prices for residential customers are down, according to UGI Utilities Inc. representative Andrew Rohrer. “On the natural gas utilities side, those meters are humming with this cold weather, but the good news is it won’t cost as much. Gas prices have come down by about 10 percent for the average residential customer, which is great news heading into the heating season. So happy holidays,” he added. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 12/11/13)

U.S. Dept. of Energy: ‘Natural Gas Production May Rise to Record in 2010’: “U.S. natural gas production this year may reach an all-time high as drilling for the heating and power-plant fuel increased. Gas output will average a record 62.09 billion cubic feet a day this year, Energy Department production data show. (Bloomberg, 12/7/10)

‘North America: The New Energy Kingdom’: “With rising production from shale fields, the U.S. surpassed Russia last year to become the world’s largest supplier of natural gas. Shale now accounts for 10 per cent of the country’s natural gas production – up from 2 per cent in 1990. … For natural gas, the U.S. has the four largest fields in the world: the Haynesville field in Louisiana (with production up by 77 per cent in 2009); the Fayetteville field in Arkansas and the Marcellus field in Pennsylvania (both with production up by 50 per cent); and the Barnett field in Texas and Oklahoma (with production up by double-digit increases). The EIA reports that proven U.S. reserves of natural gas increased last year by 11 per cent to 284 trillion cubic feet – the highest level since 1971. (Globe and Mail, 12/9/10)

On Hydraulic Fracturing’s Record of Environmental Safety

MSC President Reinforces PADEP Facts Regarding Fracturing’s Clear Environmental Safety Record: “What gets a lot of attention is the hydraulic fracturing process. Well, the regulators and others who study this very carefully (say) that is not the biggest risk. It’s very difficult, and in fact, has never been shown that from 8,000-feet down a process is contaminating drinking water,” Klaber said. “We’re focused on where the real challenges are, which is making sure you don’t have any spills, and there’s no surface interactions with the compounds we use.” (Blairsville Dispatch, 12/10/10)

University of Houston Prof. and Petroleum Engineer PhD: ‘The Industry has an Impeccable Safety Record’: “Hydraulic fracturing is an absolutely necessary process for removing natural gas from the ground and cultivating this very attractive and environmentally friendly form of energy,” said Dr. Economides. … As recently as November 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released a report showing that there have been no documented incidents of groundwater contamination as a result of hydraulic fracturing. (Release, 12/9/10)