Evidence Continues to Confirm the Benefits of Fracking

Evidence continues to pour in confirming the benefits of fracking, which has been safely conducted in the United States since the mid-1900s.

Jackie Stewart of Energy In Depth Ohio reported last month about an update given in Youngstown by state officials that indicated Ohio will be producing more natural gas than it consumes, thanks to the success of fracking. Oil production doubled in Ohio last year, and natural gas production rose 110 percent.

The Daily Caller website included an article on May 3 that said cheaper energy produced via hydraulic fracking "lowered the cost of living for the average American by almost $750" annually since 2008, citing a report from the Energy Information Administration.

Writing in Capitol Weekly, Rock Zierman countered the claims of anti-fracking zealots like Sen. Bernie Sanders or actor Mark Ruffalo by citing a Washington Post editorial that chastised their "Keep It in the Ground" ideology as being "utterly unrealistic."

Pointing out that emissions actually declined in 2015, Zierman said "a fracking ban would be counterproductive to our economic, security and environmental interests."

The numbers don't lie, and neither do the positive results. Fracking is safe and is strengthening America's economy and our standing in the world.

A Summary of Issues and Trends Looking to 2016

Despite the recent slowdown in the oil and gas industry, particularly in Ohio, there are still reasons to be excited about the future. As 2016 dawns, let's take a look at what's trending.

Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, joined the chorus of voices supporting Congress and President Obama in lifting the '70s-era crude export ban.

"This is the start of a new era for U.S. energy," he said. "Ending the decades-old ban on crude exports is a huge win for consumers, jobs, the economy and our energy security."

Gerard said the move would make the U.S. more competitive and would benefit consumers, citing studies indicating that lifting the ban would lower gas prices by up to 12 cents per gallon.

The complete statement from API on the ending of the export ban can be found here.

Production in Ohio's Utica Shale reached record highs in the third quarter of 2015. As Jackie Stewart of Energy In Depth reported earlier this month, production more than doubled over the same quarter in 2014.

"In the third quarter of 2015, the Utica shale produced 5,696,780 barrels of oil and 245,747,686 Bcf (245 billion cubic feet) of natural gas," Stewart wrote. "This sets new records as unconventional shale production totals have increased by more than 100 percent since the same quarter last year."

The article also points out that Carroll County remains one of the state's top oil producers. You can read the entire report here.

Lindsey Klevin of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association discussed the ramifications of lower oil and gas prices in a recent article on OOGA's Oil & Gas Matters blog.

"Robust natural gas production has helped inventories soar to record highs we haven't seen before," Kleven wrote, before also pointing out that new production has slowed "as producers are responding to the current market conditions."

And, while it's a challenging time for producers, consumers are certainly reaping the benefits from higher supplies and resulting lower energy costs, as evidenced by six-year lows on gasoline prices in Ohio: "Consumers are expected to save a reported $7 billion at the pump during this holiday season, which translates out to about $40 per driver."

You can read the entire article here.

In conclusion, we like the sound of Jackie Stewart's summary in her report on Q3 Utica Shale production: "This is all certainly wonderful news for Ohio's growing economy, which--recent reports indicate--will continue to benefit from shale production and the construction of associated infrastructure for years to come."

Here's to 2016!

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.

Education Opportunities Abound to Prepare Workers for Oil and Gas Jobs

A report released in 2014 by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank, emphasized the importance of education to a local economy: "Overwhelmingly, high-wage states are states with a well-educated workforce. There is a clear and strong correlation between the educational attainment of a state's workforce and median wages in the state."

As published in ShaleMart magazine

The Stark Education Partnership collaborates with educators, businesses, and civic and community leaders to foster sustainable improvement in colleges and schools throughout the county. Furthermore, Stark County is well-positioned to remain competitive in the years ahead, with the undergraduate and graduate programs at Kent State University at Stark, Malone University, the University of Mount Union and Walsh University, as well as the education available in technology and the local building trades at Stark State College, one of Ohio's premier community and technical colleges.

As our educational institutions continue to adapt to the changing economy, more focus is being placed on training students for careers in the oil and gas industry. As an example of this trend, Stark State College opened a new oil and gas well site training center in Canton in 2014. Part of a satellite academic building downtown, the facility represents a direct partnership with the energy industry designed to better prepare skilled laborers for the workforce.

The R.G. Drage Career Technical Center in Massillon, which is a two-year joint vocational facility serving the public school districts in Stark County, has recognized the impact of the oil and gas industry by adapting the curriculum to promote increased employment opportunities and allow for continued training at the post-secondary level.

The construction trade unions that are a part of the East Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council also provide apprenticeship and training programs that are endorsed by the U.S. Department of Labor. These programs ensure that there is always a pool of highly skilled construction workers to serve the needs of oil and gas and other industries.

Career training is vital to the future of any region, and the Stark County Oil and Gas Partnership is proud to partner with these educational institutions and labor organizations to provide programs that will prepare our residents to qualify for the new job opportunities created by the oil and gas industry.

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

Ohio's Gas and Oil Output 'Should Get People's Attention'

That's what Peter MacKenzie of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association said on March 6 about the numbers released by the organization during its 67th winter meeting in Columbus.

As reported in the Akron Beacon Journal, the data shared at the winter meeting showed that oil production nearly doubled over the past year, and natural gas production rose 2-1/2 times higher.

The data "should get people's attention," the story quoted MacKenzie as saying. "It sure got my attention."

In all, Mackenzie said, oil production in Ohio rose from slightly less than 5 million barrels in 2012 to more than 9.7 million barrels in 2013. Natural gas production increased even more dramatically, from 83 million cubic feet to more than 203 million cubic feet in a year's time.

The OOGA is a close working partner of the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership. Their annual Winter Meeting brings together industry leaders from Ohio and across the nation to share news about the state of the oil and gas industry, through business sessions and a trade show. About 80 vendors participated in this year's trade show during the meeting.

Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership Website Updated

The website for the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership has been updated and redesigned as 2014 approaches.

Many of the former elements of the site were retained, and a number of new features were added to make the user's experience simpler. They include larger photo galleries, a more concise and easy-to-navigate member directory, and a calendar feature. The home page layout was adjusted to help users see site content at a glance.

Site design was completed by Delamater Media Group, a North Canton public relations, social media and communications company. DMG also handles blogging and social media for the partnership.

The website can be viewed at www.choosestark.com.

Oil & Gas Contributes to Hotel Boom

​

Hotels are popping up everywhere, a sign that the Stark County economy is hopping. According to a report in the Canton Repository, there are five hotels in the planning or construction phases in Stark County. Four are in the Belden Village area, and another is in Hartville.

Smaller communities are also looking to welcome new hotels, and much of the growth is due to the demand from the oil and gas industry.

It's an exciting development for our region.

Click here to read more about the countywide building boom.

Gas Boom Still in the Future

As close as we are in the Partnership to what is going on in the oil and gas industry, we see many people who grow impatient with what they think is the slow pace of progress, particularly with the development of the Utica Shale.

However, experts throughout the industry continue to point to strong signs that the growth we've all anticipated and expected is still ahead. Now that has been confirmed by a study released by Cleveland State University.

Iryna Lendel, assistant director for economic development at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, spoke at a shale conference in Akron on Sept. 24.

Click here for coverage in the Akron Beacon Journal.

4,000 New Oil & Gas Jobs This Year

A report on the Motley Fool website indicates that "oil and gas companies operating in the Marcellus and Utica Shale plan to hire at least 4,000 new employees this year."

Four thousand! That's the kind of news we can all get excited about, and here at the Partnership we intend to work to bring our share of oil and gas jobs right here to Stark County.

The article goes on to indicate that last year 96 percent of new oil and gas jobs in the Marcellus and Utica were filled by local candidates.

Click here to read the article at The Motley Fool website.