Pipeline Construction Holds Promise for Oil and Gas in Ohio

In November 2014 the Stark Carroll Oil & Gas Partnership sponsored "Pipeline 101," a conference that showcased how the oil and gas industry, and the pipelines that serve it, represent the backbone for economic growth in Ohio, Michigan and the surrounding region.

The topic remains timely, as evidenced by the announcement earlier this month that Kinder Morgan was moving forward with plans to build a 240-mile pipeline across Ohio. If approved, the pipeline will create as many as 1,000 jobs and, when complete, will be used to transport propane and ethane to Canada. 

According to an article in the Canton Repository, "The $500 million pipeline will have an initial capacity of 50,000 barrels per day of ethane or an ethane-propane mix. The two byproducts of natural gas production are valued in plastics production."

The company must first apply for permits from state and federal regulators before beginning work on the pipeline, which will start in Cadiz and stretch through parts of Carroll, Tuscarawas and Stark counties before crossing the state line into Michigan just west of Toledo.

Kinder Morgan didn't stop there. Before the month was over, the company had bypassed the uncertain credit markets by going directly to banks to refinance—to the tune of $1 billion—its maturing debt. The financing will enable the company to move forward with its various growth projects, including the Utopia East pipeline here in Ohio.

Meanwhile, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will sponsor a public hearing in February on a proposed air permit for a Medina County compressor station for the $2 billion Nexus natural gas pipeline. The pipeline, with a proposed construction timeline beginning in 2017, would stretch for 255 miles and pass through Stark, Summit, Wayne and Medina Counties in Northeast Ohio.

The ongoing construction of pipelines here and in other parts of the country are projects to watch. They will serve to create jobs and bolster local economies as the oil and gas industry continues to weather to downturn that hit especially hard in 2015. 

The Stark Carroll Oil & Gas Partnership promotes the growth and economic impact of the oil and gas industry in Stark County and Carroll County, Ohio.

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).