Marcellus Shale Gas Boom: Energy, Cash and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Energy boom in SW Pennsylvania, Northern WV
There’s a lot of drilling for natural gas going on in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia: the rush to tap the huge natural gas reserves of the Marcellus Shale fields. The drilling and building of pipelines has meant an oasis of prosperity during a time of dreary economic news nationwide.
[Click images to enlarge; click again to super-size them]
JOBS, CONSTRUCTION & ENERGY IN THEM THAR HILLS
While most of the nation has been suffering through high unemployment, defaults, foreclosures and other Recovery Summer worries, one section of the country has quietly been prospering.
The southwestern Pennsylvania-norther West Virginia area has seen a boomlet of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale field. Construction, jobs, drilling and trucks hauling equipment have been common sights along the roads of this mostly rural area during the last 18 months.
Marcellus Shale Jobs. What Kinds Are There and Where?
The Marcellus shale will turn out to be the largest job creator in Appalachia and other parts of the Northeast United States in recent history.
This massive domestic reserve of natural gas, which some experts believe holds up to 500 trillion cubic feet of gas, will provide good paying jobs for skilled and semi-skilled workers.
There have been lines of people eager to participate in the drilling.
Chesapeake sends recruiters To hire staff in West Virginia
NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va. — Jobs with natural gas drilling companies appear to be in great demand. Hundreds of people lined up Wednesday in Marshall County to talk with nine recruiters from Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy. Chesapeake is among the companies rushing to tap the reserves of the Marcellus shale gas field. Development coordinator Ryan Dean says no jobs were filled immediately, but the eastern region offers work for people with a variety of experience. Jobs range from pumpers, field technicians and rig hands to truck drivers, air equipment operators, mechanics and diesel engine technicians. Welders Shawn Long and Eric Westbrook of Middlebourne say the gas industry is one of few offering opportunities these days. Chesapeake currently employs 630 West Virginians.” [via Don Surber]
Energy is one segment of the economy that could put Americans back to work again–if the government would get out of the way. The EPA has not only held up coal mining permits, but has retroactively pulled permits it had previously approved. Here’s hoping that the EPA leaves natural gas alone.
According to Rasmussen, 61% Say Finding New Energy Sources More Important Than Conservation.
Sixty-one percent (61%) of U.S. Voters feel finding new sources of energy is more important now than reducing the amount of energy Americans now consume. That’s a slight drop from last month but consistent with findings since the beginning of 2009.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 31% believe reducing energy consumption is more important.
Gas storage other equipment seem to be popping up in every hill and dale in rural Greene County, PA and Marshall County, WV.
Marcellus Shale – Appalachian Basin Natural Gas Play
New research results surprise everyone on the potential of this well-known Devonian black shale.
Super Giant Field in the Appalachians?
A few years ago every geologist involved in Appalachian Basin oil and gas knew about the Devonian black shale called the Marcellus. Its black color made it easy to spot in the field and its slightly radioactive signature made it a very easy pick on a geophysical well log.
However, very few of these geologists were excited about the Marcellus Shale as a major source of natural gas. Wells drilled through it produced some gas but rarely in enormous quantity. Few if any in the natural gas industry suspected that the Marcellus might soon be a major contributor to the natural gas supply of the United States – large enough to be spoken of as a “super giant” gas field.
Work on gas sites in the hills along the PA-WV border are a common. It’s a sign of prosperity, as mineral rights payments for landowners have increased by as much as 10-50 times in some areas. That doesn’t include the royalty payments landowners receive if a well is actually drilled and producing natural gas.
The Marcellus Formation (also classified as the Marcellus Subgroup of the Hamilton Group, Marcellus Member of the Romney Formation, or simply the Marcellus Shale) is a unit of marine sedimentary rock found in eastern North America. Named for a distinctive outcrop near the village of Marcellus, New York in the United States, it extends throughout much of the Appalachian Basin. The shale contains largely untapped natural gas reserves, and its proximity to the high-demand markets along the East Coast of the United States make it an attractive target for energy development.
The highways are busy with trucks hauling construction machinery, materials and equipment for the gas drilling sites. Traffic is often slowed by big trucks laboring up steep hills and negotiating sharp curves. The locals, however, seem to take it in stride as a small price to pay for prosperity.
One drawback is the wear and tear of the increased traffic of heavy trucks on the local highways and back roads. The state highway departments eventually get around to repairing the roads, though. Asphalt patches are a common sight during a recent drive through the region.
Again, most locals seem to put up with the temporary inconvenience as a price to pay for the increased economic activity in the area. Here, as elsewhere, a premium is put on good-paying jobs.
Economic Significance of the Marcellus Shale Gas Field
The presence of an enormous volume of potentially recoverable gas in the eastern United States has a great economic significance. This will be some of the closest natural gas to the high population areas of New Jersey, New York and New England. This transportation advantage will give Marcellus gas a distinct advantage in the marketplace.
Gas produced from the shallower, western portion of the Marcellus extent (see map above) might be transported to cities in the central part of the United States. It should have a positive impact on the stability of natural gas supply of the surrounding region for at least several years if the resource estimate quoted above proves accurate.
Drilling sites are the only scenes of new construction. A maze of new pipelines to deliver the gas to market snakes across the landscape before it’s buried.
The pipes eventually get buried by crews who work behind the men building the pipelines. The photo below shows a large section of pipelines buried only days before.
In the end, jobs, the increased jobs, cash and energy trump inconvenience in an area where the EPA is considered a dirty word.
Every farmer we spoke to expressed the same thought: hope that the gas companies would show up to drill on their land next.
Marcellus Shale Jobs – Marcellus Shale Job Listings
by Mondo Frazier
images: dbkp; toxic
map: wikipedia; Wheeling Intelligencer
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[...] Energy, Cash and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Posted: August 30th, 2010 | Author: admin | Filed under: links | No Comments » Marcellus Shale Gas Boom: Energy, Cash and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs DBKP – Death By 1000 Papercuts By Mondoreb There’s a lot of drilling for natural gas going on in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia: the rush to tap the huge natural gas reserves of the Marcellus Shale fields. The drilling and building of pipelines … http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2010/08/marcellus-shale-gas-boom-energy-cash-and-jobs-jobs-jobs/ [...]
I agree that jobs in drilling for Marcellus Shale for gas should go to Pennsylvanians when ever possible. That however is only the tip of the iceberg. Companies from West Virginia & Ohio swarm to this area for work, while unless you are licensed in these states you can not work there. It is time our legislature remedys this & make all companies & employees registered
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I’m ok with it from the economic and topical environmental aspect.
What you didn’t mention though is in order to squeeze the gas out of the shale, the companies have to use a chemical compound provided by Halliburton and “frack” the rock.
The fracking doesn’t bother me nor the gas that sometimes comes out of utility pipes in homes.
What does bother me is that the PA Dept of Env Quality nor the EPA can find out what is in Halliburton’s chemical compound being used ALL OF WHICH ends up in the drinkable water table. ALL. (I think it’s COREXIT actually)
The reason Halliburton provides is that the compound is proprietary. Yes, but if I’m drinking it, I have the right to know what’s in it!
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It is misreporting to say that “Sixty-one percent (61%) of U.S. Voters feel finding new sources of energy is more important now than reducing the amount of energy Americans now consume.” means that 61% think energy is more important than “conservation” in general.
Conservation also means making sure that we and our families have safe water to drink, and we’ll be very unimpressed if we make a world where we pay for jobs in 2010 with cancers in 2020. The debate rages (see e.g. comments at http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/613/index.html), and it’s a mistake to suggest this issue is decided.
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admin Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 16:11
Dominic,
It is not misreporting to to say that “Sixty-one percent of U.S. voters…”
That’s the finding of the poll–which were reported. You may disagree with what those who responded said, or you may question whether they agree about what it means.
“Misreported” is an accusation that you’ve provided absolutely no proof for other than your opinion.
Which is quite all right; just leave out the accusations when you disagree with what someone else is saying.
Thanks for your comment.
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Admin,
The quote from the survey itself is not misreporting: but the claim that people were expressing views about “conservation” when they were asked a question about specifically “energy reduction” is accidentally or deliberately inaccurate.
I’m making no comment at all about those who responded: I’m saying that if an opinion pole is conducted it’s very important to report only the answers to the questions posed, not a generalization thereof which may not be justified.
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In fairness I should also note that the unwarranted generalization happens in the headline of the Rasmussen article itself, so the mistake made in the current article is in quoting Rasmussen as an authority uncritically. The Rasmussen article itself doesn’t enable comments. However, it does note that “65% of voters think investing in renewable energy sources like wind and solar is a better long-term investment for America than investing in fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal.”, so even the correct findings don’t strongly endorse drilling.
I also apologize for not yet understanding what the different “Comment” and “Reply” buttons do on this site, this has made the comment threads harder to read than they should be.
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[...] areas, tho. Between them and the government they'll manage to drive costs up and business out. Marcellus Shale Gas Boom: Energy, Cash and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs | DBKP – Death By 1000 Papercuts – DBKP __________________ [...]
One day you all will wish you didn’t let them contaminate the water. You’ll pay one hundred times over for the availability of ‘cleaned’ water that won’t alter your DNA, your health and wellbeing. Oh, BTW, you’ll get that cleaned water from the very people who poisoned the water. You really must watch the movie: ‘GASLAND’. The people who will live near by and suffer their fate are meaningless to them, those lizards of blood.
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admin Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:43
LibertyTreeBud,
Actually, there’s been gas and oil drilling, as well as extensive coal mining, in the area for the last (almost) 150 years. Occasionally, there is an issue where someone’s well goes dry–and we get compensated for it.
My family’s been in the general area since the early 1800s. Thus far, our DNA seems to be holding up as well as any. I have noticed an inordinate love of guns, pickups and country music among the natives, however.
Thanks for your comment.
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LibertyTreeBud Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 13:33
Oh, that is good news, to hear that drilling for gas doesn’t pollute the land and water. You, there, are lucky. Watch GasLand, the movie, anyway, you’ll get yet another perspective on the way the country is being used by mega-industry. I do hope that you protect your DNA and water and re-inforce your love of guns, pickups and er, country music, Peace.
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I live in north Central PA. people should understand that only 1/3rd of the jobs are in the drilling. I know of wait staff making 1,000 per 40 hour week. I know of people who own small companies making x2 what they made before from the influx of new cash. I know people who drive hot shot trucks, cook food, wash laundry, and many many other jobs that do not require a CDL or Drilling Skills. That is what billions of dollars will do for an area.
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Gas land is BS. our water would burn in PA long before white men came here. Check out Burning Creek or oil creek. why is it when someone makes a film, everyone nods and presumes that the salt of the earth director is just that. Fox is a city boy from NYC. He made far more from the film than he would have made from the gas. if a man could light a kitchen sink in 1976, before fracturing, why is it only seen on TV now? MONEY! Fox is a hack.
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why don’t you people find it for yourself. It’s been public knowlage for a year now. why is it when the companies tell you what they use and in what % they use it, it’s never in the paper. and I promis, if you are drinking water from that level of the earth, you will get sick any how.
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Great article on the marcellus shale, well written. It gives us an in depth look at the effect drilling has on communities, bot positive and negative. Those selling mineral rights or leasing them can expect a huge payday for mineral rights they may have thought of as worthless. Thanks again for the post I will keep up with your blog.
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Im very interested in the Natural gas industry. Job growth by far the best for my area in a long time.I would take a cut in pay to get a job in this industry.
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