Reviewing 2015: An Advocate for Oil & Gas in Stark and Carroll Counties

It was another "eventful" year!

The Stark Carroll Oil & Gas Partnership hosted four more great events in 2015. We continue to advocate for responsible oil and gas exploration and for the use of local labor. 

Our conferences have been headlined by industry experts, providing important oil and gas updates to business and civic leaders, while our golf outing and sporting clays championships helped raise revenue in an atmosphere of camaraderie and friendly competition. 

Watch for another great schedule of events in 2016. We look forward to having you join us as we support the oil and gas industry in Stark and Carroll counties! 

Text appeared in the January edition of ShaleMart magazine (right).

Stark and Carroll Counties Working Together for the Future of Oil and Gas

Over the past few months the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership has worked closely with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce to plan for the Partnership's first annual Shale Shoot Sporting Clay Championship & Utica Conference, which is coming up Nov. 5 and 6 of this year.

As published in ShaleMart magazine

Partnership Chairman Dave Kirven has had a number of meetings and conversations with Amy Rutledge, executive director of the Carroll Chamber, and other representatives to determine ways the two organizations can work more closely together to promote the oil and gas industry in the region.

While Stark County has offered its many resources for company relocation, residents moving into the area, and numerous entertainment, dining and shopping options, Carroll County is Northeast Ohio's hub of activity in the Utica Shale

A report that appeared earlier this year on the FracTracker Alliance website indicated that Carroll County is home to fully one-fourth of the state’s drilling permits, and 43 percent of all producing wells (as of the end of Q3 of 2014). Carroll County is where the majority of drilling is actually taking place in the entire state, let alone our immediate region.

After ongoing discussions dating back to late 2014, the Partnership's name is changing to the Stark Carroll Oil & Gas Partnership, to reflect the participation of businesses and organizations that are not only doing business with companies in the region, but are located in those respective counties as well.

“This is a big step for our organization, and for the companies and individuals who do business in our two counties,” said Kirven. “Not only do Stark and Carroll border one another, they offer tremendous advantages in terms of natural resources, quality of life, and business and residential opportunities.”

More details will be shared in the weeks ahead. Stay in touch with the Partnership via their blog (choosestark.blogspot.com), their website (www.choosestark.com), and their Facebook page. If you're not already a member, be sure to join the Partnership to receive all the benefits of membership, including their bi-weekly "Drill Bits" e-newsletter. Membership information is available under the “Join” tab at www.choosestark.com.

This article was originally submitted for publication in ShaleMart's print and online editions.

Audience Learns About the Dramatic Impact of the Price of Oil at SCOGP Expo May 13

About 85 professionals from businesses related to, or interested in doing business with, the oil and gas industry attended the Supply-Demand-Price Expo, sponsored by the Stark County Oil and Gas Partnership (SCOGP), on May 13 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Dave Kirven, chairman of the Partnership, emceed the event and introduced the lineup of speakers for the day. First up was Tom Delamater of Delamater Media Group, a Stark County-based public relations firm, who talked about the SCOGP’s media partners. His company is one of those, along with: Creative Source, a Canton based company that creates large format signs, displays and printing; Ponder Systems, a local video production company; Studio 7, a photography company that handles projects for the SCOGP; and ShaleMart.com, which publishes oil and gas newsletters and directories online and in hard copy.

The first featured speaker was John Felmy of the American Petroleum Institute (API) who talked of the strong and lasting impact of oil and natural gas in America and the world. He said the U.S. is now the largest producer of natural gas in the world and is on track to be its largest oil producer as well. He cited the strong demand around the world for fuel for heating and transportation.

Jackie Stewart of Energy In Depth provided statistical evidence for the strength of oil and gas in the state. She said that Ohio’s Utica Shale is producing, as indicated by the fact that the state’s Utica oil production is up 200 percent, while natural gas production is up 350 percent over that same period.

In addition to a presentation about the Hall of Fame Village project by Pete Fierle of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bryce Custer of NAI Spring Realty and Rebecca Heimlich of API rounded out the agenda. Ms. Heimlich reported that there are almost 10 million people in the United States who either work in oil and gas or whose jobs are supported by the industry.

The event concluded with a networking reception until 7 p.m. The Hall of Fame was also open to guests of the expo until 8 p.m.

The expo received extensive coverage from area media. Click on the following links for articles in the Canton Repository, the Massillon Independent, the Alliance Review, and Farm & Dairy, the leading agricultural publication in our region.

COMING SOON: Next up for the Partnership is the annual Golf Outing, June 15 at Shady Hollow Country Club in Massillon, and the inaugural Shale Shoot Sporting Clay Championship and Utica Conference, Nov. 5 and 6 in Carroll County.