The 'Shale Shoot' Makes Its Debut in November

The Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership will debut a brand-new event in November, and it's already drawing the attention of sporting clay enthusiasts in Northeast Ohio.

The first annual Shale Shoot Sporting Clay Championship & Utica Conference will take place in Carrollton on Thursday Nov. 5 and Friday, Nov. 6. Final details are still being set, but it will kick off with the Shale Shoot event (dinner included) at Upland Sporting Clays on Thursday, followed by a Utica Conference at Atwood Lake on Friday.

The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce will co-sponsor the event. For more information or to sign up to receive updates via email, click this link: Shale Shoot 2015.

Ohio Valley Expo: Dave Kirven, chairman of the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership, attended the Ohio Valley Oil & Gas Expo, April 28 and 29 at the James E. Carnes Center in St. Clairsville.

The two-day expo included a network reception, one-day vendor displays, trade professionals and speakers from the oil and gas industry.

Dave also spent time distributing literature about membership in the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership, the upcoming Supply-Demand-Price Expo in Canton on March 13, and the Shale Shoot in Carrollton Nov. 5 and 6.

Keep an eye on the Partnership's website at www.choosestark.com for updated details on future events.

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.

'Supply-Demand-Price' Expo jump-starts 2015 event calendar

Visit choosestark.com for
details on the Expo in May

Get the low-down on the oil and gas industry's impact on Stark County at the "Supply-Demand-Price" Expo, Wednesday, May 13 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The event will feature guest speakers from 3 to 5 p.m. and a networking reception to follow. 

Industry experts scheduled to speak are:

• John Felmy, chief economist with the American Petroleum Institute, who will offer a national perspective on the oil and natural gas industry, the impact of lower oil prices, and what that means for shale plays across the country including in Ohio;

• Jackie Stewart of Energy in Depth, who will discuss "State of the Utica Shale: How Ohio Compares to Other Basins";

• Bryce Custer of NAI Spring Commercial Realty, discussing the impact of oil and gas on commercial real estate; and 

• Rebecca Heimlich of the American Petroleum Institute, who will discuss API’s Energy Nation program and how it brings together the employees, retirees, vendors and suppliers of the oil and natural gas industry on critical issues facing the industry. 

The cost to attend is $65 for members of the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership, and $80 for non-members. However, you can receive a $25 discount when you register if you sign up for a free membership in Energy Nation, a non-profit organization that promotes U.S. energy development, energy industry jobs and a stronger, more independent American energy future. Energy Nation is a major sponsor of the "Supply-Demand-Price" Expo.

For more information about the Expo or to register, click here.

Beautiful Shady Hollow C.C.

Also on the calendar is the return of our Annual Golf Outing. This year's event promises to be another great day of golf and networking and will take place on Monday, June 15, at Shady Hollow Country Club in Massillon. Golf will be followed by dinner and a special guest speaker. Watch our website, www.choosestark.com, for details to come.

And keep an eye out for information on a special fall event that we'll be hosting in conjunction with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. The event will include a day of activities that every sportsman will enjoy, plus more updates on the Utica Shale and progress in the oil and gas industry. 

There's never been a better time to join the Partnership and to be a part of the economic and commercial boom in Stark County and the surrounding region. For more information, visit the membership page on our website. We hope to see you at the Expo in May, and at all of our events in 2015!

Alliances with Area Chambers of Commerce Benefits Partnership, Oil and Gas Industry

As published in ShaleMart magazine

The Stark County Oil and Gas Partnership is an alliance between local governments, chambers of commerce, labor, education, development groups and employment organizations, formed to promote a complete understanding of the oil and gas industry, promote oil and gas extraction efforts that are environmentally responsible and encourage the use of Stark County residents and businesses in the development, extraction and processing of oil and natural gas.

To accomplish its objectives, the Partnership works closely with area chambers of commerce and economic development organizations to help promote the region and raise awareness about the importance of the oil and gas industry to the Stark County economy. Included among those partners are the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and the North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce has actively promoted the oil and gas industry and its impact on Canton since 2012. In addition to working with the Partnership to help promote the region, the Canton Chamber offers a series of seminars and conferences “designed to help businesses find their opportunities in oil and gas economy,” according to David Kaminski, the chamber’s vice president for public policy and energy.

The Canton Regional Chamber maintains a website at www.cantonchamber.org.

Meanwhile, the North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce (www.northcantonchamber.org) emphasizes the benefits of living and doing business in its community. They’ve developed a special website that focuses specifically on those benefits, www.liverightherenorthcanton.com.

“We have excellent city services, a low income tax rate, and no traffic congestion,” said Doug Lane, president of the North Canton Chamber. He points to the development of the Hoover District, located in the former headquarters building of the Hoover Company, as one of the citys many locations that offer low-cost office space.

Lane also promotes the fact that parking is free throughout the city, along with the convenience of immediate access to both Interstate 77 and the Akron-Canton Regional Airport. Walsh University is located in the city, and four other institutions of higher learning—Kent State University at Stark, Malone University, the University of Mount Union, and Stark State College—are located nearby.

The Stark County Oil and Gas Partnership is proud to work with these and other area chambers to help promote the advantages of living and doing business in Stark County.

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

Utica Shale oil production, natural gas production soar in Ohio

The news about oil and natural gas production in Ohio's Utica play continues to be positive and is reflected in robust numbers.

(Columbus Dispatch graphic)

As reported on cleveland.com, the news website connected with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, an analysis compiled by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) "found that oil production increased by 200 percent and gas by 350 percent from 2013 to 2014."

During the fourth quarter of 2014, Ohio’s horizontal shale wells produced more than 3.5 million barrels of oil and nearly 165 billion cubic feet of natural gas, according the the ODNR report.

Bob Downing of the Akron Beacon Journal, reported that the ODNR study indicated that "oil production from 779 horizontal Utica wells increased by more than 545,000 barrels, up 18.1 percent, and natural gas jumped by more than 33 billion cubic feet, or 25.6 percent, compared to the third quarter of 2014."

The full ODNR report can be accessed on the department's website.

Stark County Oil and Gas Partnership Promotes Understanding of the Industry, Economic Growth

True to its name, the Stark County Oil and Gas Partnership has become a leading voice promoting the economic impact of the oil and gas industry on the region.

According to Chairman Dave Kirven, the organization’s purpose is three-fold: to promote a understanding of the oil and gas industry; to promote oil and gas extraction efforts that are environmentally responsible; and to encourage the use of Stark County residents and businesses in the development, extraction and processing of oil and natural gas.

As published in ShaleMart magazine

The partnership describes itself as an alliance between local governments, chambers of commerce, labor, education, development groups and employment organizations.

“We believe Stark County is the ideal place for companies involved in the oil and gas industry, and their employees, to locate, live, work and shop,” said Kirven. “Our activities are focused on making that a reality as the fracking boom continues in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state.”

The partnership seeks to assist companies as they move into Stark County by directing them to local services, organizations and businesses that can make their move as seamless as possible.

Stark County boasts major interstate highways, access to rail, a neighboring airport, an abundant supply of water, and major metropolitan areas that offer outstanding residential, dining and shopping opportunities. Those factors and more make Stark County the ideal location for any business.

The partnership also points to Stark’s educated and skilled workforce, as well as the training provided through local colleges, the local building trades, and local employment organizations, as an added benefit to attracting businesses involved in the oil and gas industry.

Each year the partnership sponsors several events and seminars designed to inform and educate the community about the safety and effectiveness of fracking, and to bring together business and civic leaders in a networking environment.

“The Utica shale play continues to become a larger piece of the nation’s energy pie, and Ohio has benefitted immensely from the safe fracking practices that are in place,” said Kirven. “Stark County is experiencing an ongoing influx of oil and gas companies and their support industries, and we will continue to encourage those companies to ‘Choose Stark’ when deciding where to locate in Northeast Ohio.”

Stark County Economic Benefits: A Roundup of Ongoing Developments

Positive news keeps springing up everywhere, as jobs and dollars continue to flow into Stark County thanks to Ohio's key role in the oil and gas industry.

Jackie Stewart reports in the Energy in Depth Blog that "the unemployment rate in shale counties has fallen at a staggering rate," citing a recent report from Crain's Cleveland Business indicating that there will be more jobs for people in Northeast Ohio over the next decade.

Indeed, the report in Crain's indicates that "the oil and gas fields of the eastern and southern parts of the region will boost the regional economy beyond what can be forecast today."

Positive developments in our region had previously been highlighted in a Crain's article about the growing need for commercial buildings and properties thanks to the rapid growth of the shale industry. The article cited the efforts of Stark County's Bryce Custer, of NAI Spring in Canton, who focuses his efforts as a real estate adviser on servicing clients who come to the region to work in the Utica shale.

The article quotes Custer as estimating that his firm has done "in excess of $45 million in oil and gas business" over the past two years. The really enouraging news? The trend, according to Custer, is "business and industrial, followed by retail, followed by housing." In other words, economic development affecting all aspects of the economy.

And there's no end in site, as a report in Ohio Gas & Oil magazine indicated. The article quotes Mike Chadsey of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association as telling the Cambridge Rotary Club that "petroleum experts predict 1,000 wells per year will be drilled" in the Utica Shale "for the next 20 years."

A thousand wells per year. For 20 years.

Buckle up, because the forecast says we're in for a long ride -- one that promises to transform Stark County and all of Northeast Ohio.