Posts Tagged ‘natural gas’

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

FAIRMOUNT TWP. – Having drilled 8,100 feet straight down into the earth beneath the Buda 1H Well Pad, Encana Oil & Gas is now preparing to begin the horizontal leg of the first Marcellus Shale natural gas well in Luzerne County.

Company officials on Thursday provided a tour of the well pad off state Route 118, out behind Ricketts Glen Hotel, explaining various parts of the drilling operations and noting extra safety measures employed, given the proximity to wetlands.

As an automatic pipe handler lifted 40-foot sections of drill pipe, each weighing about 650 pounds, from a storage area on the ground onto the drill rig, Encana operations engineer Joel Fox explained the purpose of some of the equipment used on-site.

“This is one of the modern rigs with an automated pipe handler. … In the old days, you had roughnecks out there handling that pipe, two or three guys muscling around, fighting that pipe. This system’s a lot safer,” Fox said.

Joining Fox were Encana operations engineer Ashley Lantz and environmental health and safety coordinator Jarrett Toms.

Toms said there have been no health or safety related issues on-site since the drilling began last month.

Fox showed some large steel pipe, called casing, stored there. Surface casing is run down into the well bore about 425 feet and is “what provides the protection of your fresh-water aquifers. That’s been run already and cemented,” he said.

He also showed intermediate casing, which is run down to 2,150 feet. The intermediate casing is cemented inside the surface casing, and cement is also pumped around the exterior pipe to prevent gas from seeping up the outside of the casing and into ground water.

A third string of steel casing – production casing – will be run into the total depth of the well after horizontal drilling is complete. The horizontal drilling begins by drilling a curved path from a vertical well bore to 90 degrees over a 900-foot span.

“The pipe is pretty flexible. It’s stiff and strong, but it will bend,” Fox explained.

During drilling, rock and drill bit cuttings must be removed from the well bore.

Fox pointed out pallets full of bags of chemicals that are mixed with synthetic food-grade drilling oil to make the drilling mud.

“It looks and feels like baby oil,” he said. Emulsifiers are added to the oil and water to make the mud viscous so it will carry the drill cuttings to the surface of the well for removal.

When drill cuttings come up, they’re cleaned, mixed with sawdust, stored in covered containers until tested by the state Department of Environmental Protection and then hauled off to a landfill.

Fox also noted there is no reserve pit to hold the cuttings at the Buda site.

“This is an entirely closed system. In other words, there are no open pits that you hear people talk about a lot in the newspaper. All fluids are contained in tanks; drill cuttings, fluid is all in tanks,” Fox said.

“We consulted with DEP, and because we’re in a wetlands area, a closed system made a lot of sense,” Fox said, even though a closed system is more expensive to operate than using a reserve pit.

It also made sense to use a closed system at the site because the water table is high in the area, so a pit could not be dug very deep, he said.

To protect the ground from potential spills of any fluids on-site, the part of the well pad under and around the drill rig and all of the tanks and equipment is covered with liners hung over berms that look like barricades, Fox explained.

“We call these duck ponds. If something gets spilled, it stays in there. And we have what looks like a large Shop-Vac device. So as soon as any fluid or rainwater gets on that liner, we can suck it up like a Shop-Vac in your basement,” he said.

Fox also pointed out four monitoring wells the company drilled at strategic locations between the site and Ricketts Glen Hotel, which has the nearest water well.

Also on-site are five trailers for office space and to house some staff. There are five people with the drilling contractor – Horizontal Well Drillers – plus two to five Encana employees, drilling specialists and contractors on-site at all times.

It should take 10 days to two weeks to drill the 3,500- to 4,000-foot horizontal leg of the well, also called the lateral, in a southeast direction. The company uses computerized equipment near the drill bit to make sure the well bore is going exactly in the direction the engineers want it to, Fox said.

“It’s like a GPS on the (drill) bit,” he said.

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Copyright:  The Times Leader

BY DENISE ALLABAUGH (STAFF WRITER)
Published: August 26, 2010

WILKES-BARRE – Encana Oil & Gas continues its quest for natural gas.

The company remains in an exploratory mode as it drills two natural gas wells in Fairmount and Lake townships, said company Vice President Don McClure.

“It’s very dependent on what we find in those two wells as to what our next steps are going to be,” Mr. McClure said.

Mr. McClure and Brian Grove, senior director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s Eastern Division, spoke about the impacts of drilling natural gas wells to more than 100 business leaders who attended the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce’s CEO-to-CEO networking breakfast Wednesday at the Westmoreland Club.

Earlier this month, the Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board granted Encana Oil & Gas conditional use to drill 10 more wells in Fairmount and Lake townships. Mr. McClure says the company is “being very conservative” with the drilling process.

“We’re only going to drill a couple wells and we’ll evaluate what they’re going to produce,” Mr. McClure said.

The company drills wells simultaneously to be efficient and reduce community impact, Mr. McClure said. The potential for water pollution are among the concerns arising from the increased drilling. Yet, Mr. McClure said he sees natural-gas drilling as a “tremendous opportunity” that could reduce dependence on Middle East oil from about 44 percent to 10 percent by increasing natural gas production.

“That’s substantial,” Mr. McClure said. “That’s the kind of impact that Marcellus Shale can have.”

Showing the company’s track record in the United States and Canada on a slide presentation, Mr. McClure said the company takes safety of people and the environment very seriously. As the second largest natural gas producer in North America, he said Encana’s goal is not to be the biggest but the “best we can possibly be.”

“We’re always pursuing a higher safety standard,” he said.

Both Mr. McClure and Mr. Grove touted benefits of natural gas drilling, which they said will be an economic development engine for job growth.

When asked how many jobs could be created as a result of Marcellus Shale, Mr. McClure said studies show for every one percent increase in natural gas production across North America, that correlates to 20,000 to 30,000 jobs.

More than 350,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania since the first commercial oil well was developed in 1859, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

When asked what the biggest misconception of drilling is, Mr. Grove was quick to respond, “Hydraulic fracturing.” Fears about hydraulic fracturing, or the process used in wells that results in fractures in rocks, have been driven by a “lack of knowledge,” he said.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

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Copyright:  The Scranton Times

By Elizabeth Skrapits (Staff Writer)
Published: August 23, 2010

DALLAS TWP. – Would local officials be powerless to stop a natural gas company from drilling a natural gas well in the middle of a housing development?

Not according to a new state court ruling, which affirms the right of municipal and county officials to limit natural gas drilling to certain districts, such as agricultural, mining or manufacturing, and out of residential neighborhoods.

“Gas drilling is here to stay, and it affects the Back Mountain region very extensively.” Attorney Jeffrey Malak told members of the Back Mountain Community Partnership as he outlined the new court decision.

Thousands of acres in the Back Mountain have been leased by natural gas companies, and Encana Oil & Gas USA Inc. is drilling the second of two exploratory natural gas wells in Lake Township.

Traditionally, local officials have limited say when it comes to natural gas drilling. Technical aspects, such as what kind of materials to use and how the well is drilled, are governed by the state Oil and Gas Act. But local officials are gaining more and more say in where wells can be drilled.

Two previous cases, Huntley & Huntley v. Oakmont Borough and Range Resources v. Salem Township (Westmoreland County) set precedents allowing local officials some leeway in regulating where natural gas companies can drill.

A third, Penneco Oil Co. Inc. v. the County of Fayette, decided in Commonwealth Court on July 22, determined the state Oil & Gas Act does not trump local zoning ordinances, and that local officials can take steps to protect the residential character of neighborhoods.

In the case, Penneco, Range Resources Appalachia LLC and the Independent Oil and Gas Association of Pennsylvania took Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development to court, saying they did not have to follow the county’s zoning ordinance because the state Oil and Gas Act made it invalid. The court ruled in favor of the county.

“This opens up the floodgates and says municipal zoning is not pre-empted,” Malak said.

The Penneco case allows that gas wells cannot be located within the flight path of an airport runway; that they must be at least 200 feet from a residential dwelling; and that officials can require fencing and shrubs around the well site. It also allows zoning hearing boards to impose any other provisions to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents.

Whether the Penneco case will be appealed is anybody’s guess, but it’s the law unless the state Supreme Court changes it, Malak said.

Dallas Borough already has some of the provisions in its zoning ordinance, Malak said. In Jackson Township, where he also serves as solicitor, the supervisors will put similar provisions in the zoning ordinance when it is drafted over the next couple of months, Malak said.

Dallas Township Supervisor Chairman Phil Walter asked Malak if there was a way to protect a municipality against fly-by-night operators who will leave when something goes wrong.

The case does allow for bonds, even large ones, to be put in place to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents, Malak said.

Kingston Township Supervisor Jeffrey Box asked if local officials can require a land development plan from natural gas companies. Malak said they could, and they can require special exceptions, meaning there has to be a hearing in front of the zoning hearing board to grant permission and to impose any standard planning and zoning fees.

But, he said, there are still aspects of natural gas drilling that will have to be decided in court, such as whether there can be restrictions on hours drillers can operate and whether they can be barred from using roads at certain times.

eskrapits@citizensvoice.com , 570-821-2072

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Copyright:  The Citizens Voice

Experts say area should prepare because drilling is not far off

SCRANTON — Drilling for natural gas in Marcellus Shale in Monroe and Pike counties? It’s not a question of if, but when.

That was the word from around the state Thursday at a forum at Marywood University, where experts said the region is rich in the valuable fossil fuel.

The bulk of the drilling now in northeast Pennsylvania is along the northern tier but could eventually extend into the Poconos.

Kathryn Zuberbuhler Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said areas more conducive to the entire operation — including roads and pipeline — are the first areas that will be drilled. Once more companies get involved and more money is available, drilling could expand to other parts of the state that haven’t seen it yet.

“There’s only so much capital right now,” she said. “By its nature, you’re going to see that concentrated development.”

Currently, there are no Marcellus Shale drilling operations in Monroe or Pike counties. There is only one in Wayne County.

One roadblock from local drilling right now is the Delaware River Basin Commission, which stopped issuing drilling permits in 2009 until it can formulate a list of regulations gas companies must meet.

Clarke Rupert, spokesman for the DRBC, said the commission hopes to have those regulations finalized by the end of the summer and adopted by the end of the year, admitting that’s an “optimistic” schedule.

Marcellus Shale is found in most of Pennsylvania and parts of New York and West Virginia, about 5,000 to 8,000 feet below the surface. It had been considered too expensive to drill, but advances in technology and the rising cost of natural gas made it more attractive, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The new method of drilling — hydraulic fracturing, known as “fracking” — uses large amounts of water mixed with sand and other items to fracture the shale and allow the gas to flow, according to the DEP. The water used is then treated before it is released back into the water system.

However, residents near some drilling operations have complained that local water supplies have been damaged. That’s led to some in the state to wonder if this is another coal industry, which ravaged the land of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area before it was gone.

U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-11, called the shale movement “our second chance” to correct the mistakes of the coal industry.

“Don’t exploit us, and we’ll work with you,” he said our message should be to gas companies. “Exploit us, and you don’t know the (bother) we can be to you.”

John Quigley, secretary of the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said about half of Pennsylvania’s state parks are in areas where Marcellus Shale is thought to be present, and about 700,000 of the 2.1 million acres of state forest land already is leased by gas companies.

He called for the state to stop issuing permits to gas companies until there is more known about the industry.

“Frankly, I think we need to take more than a timeout, we need to take a stop,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., encouraged local government leaders who may not have many avenues of protecting themselves to write and even pressure their state and federal representatives to make sure the Marcellus Shale industry is regulated.

“There is almost no area that can look and say, ‘That’s someone else’s problem,’” he said. “We all have to do what we can to make sure this is done the right way.”

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Copyright:  Pocono Record

By Elizabeth Skrapits (Staff Writer)
Published: August 19, 2010

Drilling is close to wrapping up at Luzerne County’s first natural gas well, paving the way for Encana Oil & Gas USA Inc. to start on the second.

In a recent release, Encana reported drilling operations at the Buda natural gas well site on Route 118 behind the Ricketts Glen Hotel in Fairmount Township are expected to be finished within the next two weeks. Construction of the drilling pad at the Salansky site on Zosh Road in Lake Township is also “nearing completion and preparation for active drilling operations will start soon,” the company stated.

However, Encana stated that the completion process, which includes hydraulic fracturing, has not yet been scheduled for either site.

The wells will take approximately 6 millions of gallons of water for hydraulic fracturing.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission, which regulates large water withdrawals, has granted Encana permits to take water from three sources shared with other natural gas drilling companies and three municipal sources.

The municipal sources are Dushore Water Authority in Sullivan County, Towanda Municipal Authority in Bradford County and Tunkhannock Borough Municipal Authority, Wyoming County.

Encana has SRBC permission to take up to 499,000 gallons per day from a Citrus Energy source at the North Branch Susquehanna River in Washington Township, Wyoming County; up to 999,000 gallons per day from the Mountain Energy Services Inc. source at Tunkhannock Creek in Tunkhannock Township; and up to 240,000 gallons per day from the Bowmans Creek withdrawal site of Randy Wiernusz in Eaton Township.

Withdrawals from the Citrus Energy site are currently on hold due to low stream levels, triggering what the commission calls “pass-by restrictions,” according to Susquehanna River Basin Commission Spokeswoman Susan Obleski.

Citrus Energy and Mountain Energy were also under the restrictions, but Obleski said those have been lifted.

“The other two are available, but I understand the stream flows are dropping quickly there again, so it could be only a matter of time that they’re put on hold again,” she said.

Encana also announced that in the event of a natural gas well emergency, the company is partnering with Cudd Well Control as a first responder.

Cudd, which is based in Houston, Texas, has opened a branch on Route 414 in Canton, Bradford County – the first well-control specialists to start operating in Pennsylvania. Previously, specialists from Texas had to be flown in to handle natural gas well emergencies.

“We’ve worked with Encana for a long time in Texas and look forward to partnering here in Pennsylvania,” Troy White, Cudd’s director of business development, said in a prepared statement. “Our specialized team is already familiar with Encana’s safety practices, so we expect a smooth transition to first response planning with Encana in the Marcellus.”

eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072

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Copyright:  Citizens Voice

Barnstorming Pa., MSC Continues to Educate, Engage “Friends of Marcellus”

The positive and overwhelming benefits associated with the responsible development of the Marcellus Shale’s abundant, homegrown, clean-burning natural gas know no county lines or state borders. Considered to be the world’s second largest natural gas field – second only to one in Iran – the Marcellus Shale’s potential to generate jobs, revenue and opportunity for all Pennsylvanians is real. And it’s a story worth taking on the road.

And so this week, that’s what the Marcellus Shale Coalition and its growing grassroots network did – traveling the length and width of the Commonwealth to continue to educate and engage the 12 million folks that proudly call Pennsylvania home. Along the way, we also took some time to  highlight the economic, supply-chain and job growth opportunities that continue to be created for the local workforce — efforts that will continue at an aggressive pace as the responsible exploration of clean-burning natural gas in Pennsylvania continues to expand.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the ground that the MSC has covered in just the past couple days, along with a run-down of where we’re headed next:

We Started in Philadelphia

The MSC joined the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to educate local businesses last week of the enormous opportunities that exist up and down the Marcellus Shale supply chain. MSC president Kathryn Klaber also met with elected leaders in Philadelphia to discuss the merits of natural gas-powered vehicles, and other benefits that the Mighty Marcellus will continue to deliver to the city’s residents.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• “There’s a lot of safeguards in place…that make sure Pennsylvanians have safe drinking water,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition president Kathryn Klaber. Klaber is also here to talk about the economic benefits of expanding drilling, mainly the estimated 200,000 jobs that would be created in Pennsylvania. (ABC6 TV, 8/13/10)

Then We Headed Back to Pittsburgh

At the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Energy Inc. conference yesterday afternoon, Gov. Tom Ridge – as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – highlighted the benefits of responsible Marcellus development, as well as the safeguards in place and the commitment from the industry to protect the environment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Gov. Tom Ridge

o    “I think this is a potentially a transformational opportunity for our state. At the same time, we have to – we must – do it in a way consistent with our commitment to retain the beauty and the bounty, and the pristine condition of Pennsylvania.”

o    “I was on site today that 80 or 90 folks working that at the that site, and about 80 percent of them were local residents from Pennsylvania. Of course, the economic sustainability is real. They call it the ‘Marcellus Multiplier.’

o    “At the end of the day, facts are stubborn things. And we just have to get some facts out there so people can better understand what the industry can do – and will do – to build a sustainable economic model and be true to our commitment to the environment.”

And Now We’re Headed to State College – And Beyond

In an effort to further underscore the benefits responsible that Marcellus Shale development is generating for family farmers and Pennsylvania’s agriculture economy, the MSC will attend Penn State University’s Ag Progress Days today. And tomorrow, MSC president Kathryn Klaber will discuss ways that local business can join the growing Marcellus supply chain network with the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) at Lock Haven University; she will also participate in a shale gas forum at Marywood University, alongside U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

Interested in learning more, and joining our fight for a stronger economy and a cleaner and more secure energy future? Become a “Friend of Marcellus” today.

By Steve McConnell (Staff Writer)
Published: August 16, 2010

Although a natural gas drilling ban is in effect for much of Wayne County, one company is lining up permits for what may become the county’s first producing wells – in a small area just a hop across the Delaware River watershed boundary.

Hess Corp. has natural gas development permits either pending or recently approved for at least six hydraulically fractured Marcellus Shale wells along the county’s far northwestern border, according to state Department of Environmental Protection and Susquehanna River Basin Commission records.

Nearly all of the county lies within the Delaware River watershed, a vast 13,539-square-mile area that drains into the Delaware River. But this sliver in its far northern reaches is in the Susquehanna River watershed. There, the presiding Susquehanna River Basin Commission has granted hundreds of water-use permits to the burgeoning industry centered regionally in Susquehanna and Bradford counties.

Hess, which has leased at least 100,000 acres in northern Wayne County in a joint-development partnership with Newfield Exploration Co., had received regulatory approval from both the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and DEP for three Marcellus Shale wells in the Susquehanna watershed as of Saturday, according to a record review.

The permits were issued in late June and July. The pending and approved wells are concentrated in an area that encompasses Scott and Preston townships and Starrucca. The company will be “drilling and hydraulically stimulating one or more horizontal natural gas wells,” according to each permit application.

“An accounting of how (the companies) are going to use the water” is made before the commission decides to issue a permit, Susquehanna commission spokeswoman Susan Obleski said.

Efforts to reach officials with the New York City-based Hess Corp. were unsuccessful.

Drilling in Wayne County’s portion of the Delaware River watershed is a different story.

The Delaware River Basin Commission recently enacted a moratorium on the drilling of producing natural gas wells, which may be in effect for at least six months to a year. Meanwhile, Wayne County does not have a single producing well, nor has it seen any wells hydraulically fractured.

The only natural gas company that has attempted to hydraulically fracture a Marcellus Shale natural gas well in Wayne County, Lafayette, La.-based Stone Energy Corp., was issued a stop-work order in the summer of 2008 for its partially completed well in Clinton Twp. because it lacked a permit from the Delaware River Basin commission.

The Delaware River commission, a federal-state environmental regulatory agency charged with protecting the environmental integrity of the watershed, has stringent jurisdiction over the watershed and over natural gas drilling operations there.

It has placed a blanket moratorium on natural gas drilling until it develops its own industry regulations which are expected to exceed some DEP enforced laws.

“(Delaware) River Basin Commission consideration of natural gas production projects will occur after new … regulations are adopted,” said spokesman Clarke Rupert.

Mr. Rupert said draft regulations are expected to be published by the end of the summer. They will be followed by a series of public meetings and comment periods prior to final approval by commission vote.

“I expect those draft regulations will include provisions relating to the accounting of water movement since we would want to know the source of water to be used to support natural gas development and extraction activities in the basin,” Mr. Rupert said.

Meanwhile, the Delaware River commission is allowing 10 natural gas exploratory wells to go forward in Wayne County. They will not be hydraulically fractured, produce gas, or require much water. Hess Corp. and Newfield Exploration Co. received approvals for these wells from DEP prior to the June 14 moratorium.

Contact the writer: smcconnell@timesshamrock.com

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Copyright:  The Scranton Times

Clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas production continues to strengthen region’s economy, local workforce

The responsible and environmentally sound development of clean-burning natural gas from the Marcellus Shale continues to have a potent impact on our region’s economy and its workforce. This production is creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, a robust and growing supply chain network, tremendous amounts of economic opportunity, while at the same time helping delivering affordable supplies of homegrown energy to consumers throughout the Rust Belt.

“The potential is limitless,” says Gov. Ed Rendell, who underscores the fact that the “economic benefit of drilling in the Northern Alleghenies is welcome news in the midst of a sluggish economy and weak job market.”

Marcellus development is helping to buck otherwise bleak regional economic and job growth trends. This development has been – and continues to be – a boon for energy consumers, the environment, local businesses, and even for Pennsylvania’s state parks. In short, clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas is providing benefits to each and every one of the 12 million folks that call Pennsylvania home, in one way or another.

Call it a “Commitment to the Community.” Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) president Kathryn Klaber writes this under that headline in the Lock Haven Express yesterday, highlighting the steps shale gas producers are taking each day:

We are committed to working tirelessly each day to be good stewards of our land and waterways. We are also taking steps to ensure our operations minimize disruptions and risks in and near energy-producing communities. After all, our families live in these areas too.

While modern shale gas production involves intricate engineering technologies and techniques, our industry’s top priority is far less complex: Safely developing these clean-burning, job-creating resources in a way that benefits all Pennsylvanians – and protects the environment.

And while Marcellus development is still in the early stages, many of these benefits are already being realized. According to a recent study released by researchers at Penn State, our industry will help create nearly 212,000 jobs across the Commonwealth over the next decade. Last year alone, Marcellus development was responsible for the creation of 44,000 jobs.

And like our industry’s commitment to responsible development, we take very seriously our efforts to create job opportunities for locally trained and hired workers. As Marcellus production continues to expand, these opportunities will, too. Under the headline “Making good on a promise; Halliburton plant creates jobs,” the Williamsport Sun-Gazette highlights this promise in a story this week:

When ground was broken last August on a cement mixing plant owned by Halliburton off Route 405 in Clinton Township, company officials promised they would bring jobs to this area. The company is making good on that promise, said Perry A. Harris, senior district manager for Halliburton’s northeast U.S. operations. “By year’s end we’ll have 75 to 100 (employees) and (add) another 100 to 150 next year,” Harris said during a recent tour of the plant.

Harris said the company plans to develop another 55 acres nearby that will be home to other Halliburton gas field support operations. “Between the two sites, we’ll (be hiring) 400-plus people over the next two to three years,” Harris said.

And local training programs continue to offer and plan for coursework needed to equip the area’s workforce to join our fight for a cleaner and more secure energy future:

• Educators Tailor Courses For Marcellus Drilling Job Demand. “Local educators are creating additional courses commonly required in the Marcellus Shale drilling industry as the number of rigs is expanding across the Northern Alleghenies. Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology secondary education director Todd Taylor told WJAC-TV that there’s been a recent spike in adult students completing commercial driving license classes to drive vehicles used to haul equipment and liquid in and out of drilling sites. CPI officials plan to add an emerging energy course and expect to see of local job-seekers landing drilling rig jobs. (WJAC-TV, 8/9/10)
• Johnson hopes to build gas drilling workforce. “As development of natural gas from the state’s Marcellus Shale continues, the demand has now increased for skilled welders. Johnson hopes to meet that demand through an initiative by the Center for Sustainability at Johnson College, which is dedicated to offering industry-driven curriculum related to clean, green, and sustainable energy concepts. (Times-Leader, 8/10/10)
• Roustabout training offered. “Information on free training for workers seeking jobs as roustabouts in the natural gas drilling and production industry will be available from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12 in Founder’s Hall, Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. (Pittsburg Tribune-Review, 8/5/10)
• SCCC may train gas-drilling work force. “Now count Sullivan County Community College among the institutions planning for a future that could include natural-gas drilling. Workforce Development Dean Stephen Mitchell is researching the kinds of jobs gas drilling would make available and what skills those jobs would require. The research could underpin a new job-training curriculum at the college. (Times Herald-Record, 8/3/10)

By RICH HOWELLS rhowells@golackawanna.com

SCRANTON – In order for Johnson College to keep up with the future of Pennsylvania’s industries, the technical school has gone back to its past.

T0 learn more

Johnson held an open house on Wednesday of their brand new Welding Training Center, located at 2001 Rosanna Ave. The college hasn’t offered welding training to students since 2002, when they suspended their Welding Program after 33 years due to declining enrollment.

As development of natural gas from the state’s Marcellus Shale continues, the demand has now increased for skilled welders. Johnson hopes to meet that demand through an initiative by the Center for Sustainability at Johnson College, which is dedicated to offering industry-driven curriculum related to clean, green, and sustainable energy concepts.

“Johnson College’s goal is to take welders and specifically train them for the API 1104 code, which is the regulation they’re using for the pipeline in the natural gas industry. Right now, there’s a high demand for pipe welders who can weld to the API 1104 code. That’s primarily been used in southern states, so in this area, there’s not lot of welders trained in that. Our goal is to get local people working on the pipeline,” explained welding instructor Jeff Roughgarden.

Roughgarden, who has more than 10 years of welding experience, said that Johnson is the only school in the area offering a full-time day pipe welding program. The school also offers evening classes. The two courses are Basic Cutting and Welding for Pressure Pipelines, which runs for 400 hours over 16 weeks, and Pipe Welding for experienced welders, which is 125 hours over five weeks. The Welding Training Center also provides booth rentals and customized job training.

“There aren’t many schools locally that do welding training. We’re different because we’re teaching it all at once in short, 16-week segments,” added Marie Allison, director of continuing education.

Most of the drilling is currently being done in Susquehanna County, according to Allison, but more gas well drilling is being planned in Lackawanna County all the time. As high levels of unemployment continue to plague the area, she explained that the addition of these industry jobs is not only crucial to the region, but offer steady, dependable employment as well.

“The longevity (of these jobs) is important. Given that right now there are a lot of industries that are laying off workers, we need career paths that have long-term stability, and I think the gas industry has that. It varies. Some say 15 years, some say 20 years, and some say we’ll be here for 50 years. I think it’s going to be another 15 to 20 years, and that’s going to help a lot of people.”

Allison added that while these programs give students the skills necessary to obtain entry-level positions as welders for the gas industry, the abilities they learn and develop can also be useful in other industries, such as pipe welding for boiler manufacturers.

“These are skill sets that are transferable across industry sectors, but we do expect that most of the individuals would be looking at the gas industry for employment,” Allison said.

The occupation itself, as well as its tough schedule, can be difficult, Allison warned. There are many benefits, however, to those looking to start a career.

“It is a tough field to get into, and it’s a tough career path. It’s sometimes 14 days on, 14 days off,” she said. “There’s a commute, and a lot of individuals have to be prepared to do that. If they are, then there are a lot of opportunities there.”

Copyright: Times Leader

• Marcellus production “will enable us all to keep our farms”
  
• “Farmers are making investments in their farms that were just dreams before the Marcellus Shale”
• Marcellus development pumping “hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s  economy”

Family farmers say Marcellus development “will enable us all to keep our farms”: “Some see it as a way to keep their farms, which have been in their families for generations. … Nor do they have concerns over the hydraulic fracturing process, which some environmentalists claim can contaminate water wells and pollute rivers and streams. “We’ve been stewards of the farms for years,” said Ward, a fourth-generation farm owner. McMurray’s family has owned its land since 1811, and Bird’s since 1821. “It will enable us all to keep our farms,” said Wright-Croft. Ward believes that farmers have the most to lose from gas drilling since they rely on private wells to water livestock as well as drink it themselves. “You’re not going to find anyone with more concerns about the water than us,” he said. (Observer-Reporter, 8/3/10)

Marcellus development pumping “hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s economy”: “With lease payments ranging from $750 per acre to $3,600 per acre – and royalties set from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent – the Marcellus Shale contracts Chesapeake has signed with local property owners has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s economy. … The natural gas company presently employs 636 Mountain State residents, with plans to hire more local workers in the future once those potential employees receive proper training. Chesapeake has spent $46 million with West Virginia-based vendors so far this year, including $1 million in shops based in Marshall and Wetzel counties and several million dollars more with a company in St. Marys, W.Va. The company also donated more than $400,000 to community organizations within Marshall and Wetzel counties during the past two years, Chesapeake leaders note. (Wheeling News-Register, 8/1/10)

Marcellus bringing hope to family farmers: “As an accountant who works for many farmers in the northern tier, I have witnessed first-hand the financial stress this important industry has experienced for the past 30 years. In the past two years, I also see the hope that Marcellus Shale brings to these farm families. … Today, these farmers are making investments in their farms that were just dreams before the Marcellus Shale. Also because of these new investments by farmers, I see a rebuilding of the northern tier agriculture infrastructure that was at risk. (Daily Item, 7/28/10)

Marcellus production “good for everybody”; Helping counties “meet their bottom line”: “Marcellus Shale drilling is boosting local water sales and helping to push the Quemahoning pipeline close to its permitted capacity. Bruce Hottle, president of the Lincoln Township Municipal Authority, said the nonprofit has been selling close to 3 million gallons per month to Dallas-based Chief Oil & Gas. Drillers use several million gallons of water to “frack” each Marcellus Shale gas well. “It’s given us some decent cash flow we wouldn’t normally have,” Hottle said. “It’s probably doubled our water sales for the months of June and July.” … “This helps us get out of the hole sooner. It’s been good for everybody,” Hottle said. … As for the county, Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said the increased usage is helping them meet their bottom line. “The more water we sell the better for the Que pipeline project,” Tokar-Ickes said. “We hope it continues.” (Daily America, 7/30/10)

More new jobs on the way thanks to the Marcellus: “A partnership between Medico Industries Inc. and a South American company looks to tap into the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling boom with the opening of a manufacturing facility in Hanover Township. … Medico Industries received a $500,000 low-interest loan through the Luzerne County Business Development Loan program to install and purchase machinery. The company is investing nearly $960,000 in the project. It’s estimated 20 jobs will be created. (Times-Leader, 7/31/10)

Marcellus-related jobs “another strong performer”: “The Pittsburgh region’s growth in all four of those sectors ranked between third and seventh best among the 40 largest regions in the country. Another strong performer was the natural resources and mining sector; although it only added 500 jobs, that was more than any region other than Houston, likely reflecting the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/1/10)