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Posts tagged "Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program"

OOGEEP Trains 1,000 Firefighters for Oil & Gas Industry

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 | 0 Comments

The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) firefighter training program reached a milestone recently when it trained its 1,000th firefighter to respond to an oilfield emergency.  Since 2000, firefighters from seven states have participated in the one-of-a-kind program which is funded entirely by revenues from Ohio’s oil and gas producers.

Source: OOGEEP

The training provides background information and practical guidelines to assist responders in communicating and evaluating a potential emergency site, and the capability to respond an unforeseen emergency.  OOGEEP even provide hands-on training including “live burns” utilizing crude oil and natural gas props.  One of the instructors for the program, Brent Gates, a Fire Chief and Ohio Certified Fire Instructor from New Concord, Ohio, explained the importance of hands-on training:

“This is by far one of the best training programs I have been involved in. The information and hands-on training we provide makes a difference to so many communities who are impacted by the development of oil and gas.”—Brent Gates

OOGEEP developed the training to prepare communities for possible emergencies and they believe the 13 year old program is part of the reason the state has a strong safety record in oil and natural gas production. OOGEEP’s executive director, Rhonda Reda, commented on the program’s success and how it could serve as a model for other states:

“Ohio citizens should be honored that many other energy producing regions have looked to Ohio as a model to set up similar safety programs in their respective states.”—Rhonda Reda

The training is endorsed by the Ohio Fire Chief’s Association, the Ohio Society of Fire Service Instructors and the Ohio Fire and Emergency Services Foundation.  The program provides each firefighter the opportunity to receive up to 12 CEU credit hours and an optional college graduate credit through Hocking College upon completion.

Charlie Dixon, lead fire instructor and OOGEEP’s safety and workforce administrator, explained how the program can benefit individual communities:

“Ohio has always been a leader in developing safety programs. While there have been very few natural gas and crude oil emergencies in Ohio, often times fire departments are often called to respond to non-emergency incidents simply because there is a lack of knowledge or unfamiliarity of equipment, standard practices, and advanced technologies used by Ohio’s industry. The fact is not all incidents reported are emergencies, and we are hopeful that this program will mitigate those types of reported incidents that could tie up community resources that may be needed elsewhere.”—Charlie Dixon

As Ohio’s oil and natural gas production increases its comforting knowing that innovative OOGEEP has already trained over 1,000 firefighters on how to handle unforeseen emergencies if they occur.  While incidents in Ohio’s oil and gas fields are rare, it’s comforting knowing that if an event occurs that the most courageous among us are armed with the best strategies and approaches in tackling this situation.

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Ohio’s New Energy Promise

Friday, December 21st, 2012 | 1 Comment

This week the United States Chamber of Commerce, through its Institute for 21st Century Energy, released part two of a three-part series studying the topic of shale benefits state by state in a study called America’s New Energy Future. The comprehensive study was completed in conjunction with the American Petroleum Institute, American Chemistry Council, America’s Natural Gas Alliance and the Natural Gas Supply Association.

Some of the key highlights of the study show us that in Ohio more than 38,830 jobs have been created, including direct, indirect and induced categories.  Also, 143,595 new jobs will be created by the year 2020. By the year 2035, the number will climb to 266,624.

Karen Harbert who serves as President and CEO of the Energy Institute at the U.S. Chamber explained the importance of shale development in Ohio:

Shale energy is a game changer for American and for Ohio, the latest installment of this study allows us to quantify just how significant the impact on Ohio’s economy will be. It provides all the more reason to strongly support responsible shale energy development (U.S. Chamber’s Energy Institute Co-sponsors Study on Shale Benefits by State, 12/19/12)

IHS, a leading global energy research firm, looked at three main components of job creation in order to gain the full scope of job creation in the state.

Direct: Contributions of unconventional oil and gas energy development are those required to explore, produce, transport and deliver products to downstream elements or activities that provide critical on site equipment and services.

Indirect: Contributions are activities in outside industries that supply materials and services to the developers of unconventional oil and gas and to their tier of suppliers.

Induced: Contributions are the economic effects from workers spending their wages on salaries on consumer goods and household items.

The report also showed remarkable increase in tax revenue both at the local and state level. In 2012 over $911 million was paid to state and local government in Ohio and is estimated to grow to $4.5 billion a year by the year 2020. The total paid in taxes by this industry from the year 2012 to the year 2035 will be a staggering $120 billion to both local and state government.

According to Linda Woggon who serves as both executive vice president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the executive director of the Ohio Shale Coalition Utica Shale development is already having a positive effect on local communities here in Ohio and will provide significant revenue in the future for our state.

Ohio is already seeing a significant boost to our economy from shale energy, and this new study shows that much more is to come,” said Linda Woggon, executive vice president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Ohio Shale Coalition. “The billions of dollars in new state and local government revenue will help support schools, infrastructure and other needs for our state, while the hundreds of thousands of new jobs will provide an economic boost for our families. (Shale expected to bring jobs, 12/20/12)

Unions throughout Ohio are also recognizing the significant impact shale development is having on our state.  In a recent interview, Butch Taylor, Business Manager, for Local 396 Plumbers and Pipefitters, said he has seen tremendous growth throughout their local, going from 40 percent unemployment among members to 100 percent employment, with a 12 percent growth in membership.

Due to the growth, Local 396 has now increased the number of times per year they take applications due to the influx of work they are receiving.

We’ve put 108 new members in the last two years. It’s really growing. And about 13 new contractors through that time period so it’s really growing and growing fast. Applications for the apprenticeship program will be taken on the third Wednesday of each month through April.  – Marty Loney, Local 396 (Shale Industry Leads to Growth of Pipefitters Union, 12/19/12)

During this holiday season, it is great to know that over 38,000 Ohioans are now working thanks to Utica Shale development.   As noted in the study this number will continue to increase providing more good paying jobs for our residents throughout Ohio, helping to lead our state back to prominence.

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Cambridge Hosts Inaugural Energy Education Day

Monday, October 15th, 2012 | 0 Comments

On Saturday, David R Hill Inc., the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA), Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) and Energy In Depth hosted the inaugural Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Day in Cambridge, Ohio.  The event, held at the Elks Lodge in downtown Cambridge, featured trucks and equipment from over 10 local companies involved in oil and gas development.

Throughout the day, more than two hundred people attended the event, including several local, county and state officials who stopped by to show support, and to learn a little more about Ohio’s oil and natural gas development.

Each company brought out their equipment to help give the public a firsthand look at how we develop oil and gas in the state.  Companies like Buckeye Water Service, Devco, Nabor’s Well Services, Go-Frac, Crescent Services, Myer’s Well Services, Appalachian Well Surveys, Producers Service and many others brought such equipment like pump trucks, haulers, wireline trucks and blender trucks to help give attendees an in depth look at oil and gas development.

 

In addition to having the equipment on hand, OOGEEP’s table display and discussions brought to light our state’s rich history of oil and gas development, and served to help dispel some of the misinformation that have found their way into the conversation.

 

We had a great turnout today.  A lot of landowners with some very positive questions. We had a lot of folks here very interested in the different careers that are going to be available here not only in the Cambridge area but in the state of Ohio. We had a lot of educators wanting educational and science materials. And we also had a lot of people here who had heard a lot of misinformation, so it was really great to set them straight on the facts about how we explore, drill and produce natural gas here in Ohio.- Rhonda Reda, Executive Director, OOGEEP

 

For those unable to attend, the event hosted a live remote-feed from AVC Communication’s  KC 105, featuring representatives from OOGA, OOGEEP and Energy In Depth, as well as event organizer (and recent Sunday Shale Show guest) Dave Hill –  whose vision really made this event a success.

As we continue to see both development of the Utica Shale and it’s positive impacts continue to expand, events like these that will help educate the public on the practices and processes utilized by the industry, and also give attendees more education on the equipment used to develop these natural resources.

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The Ohio Energy Resource Alliance

Saturday, September 29th, 2012 | 0 Comments

The Ohio Energy Resource Alliance (OERA) was formed to help provide answers to Ohioans who have questions about shale development, and how it will benefit Ohio and their communities.

The OERA is comprised of  Energy In Depth – Ohio; the Ohio Petroleum Council, a division of the American Petroleum Institute (API); the Ohio Oil & Gas Association; the Ohio Oil & Gas Energy Education Program;  the Buckeye Energy Forum; and America’s Natural Gas Alliance.

These groups share a common cause: making sure Ohio’s citizens, as well as community, elected and business leaders get the answers they need about the opportunities – both future and present – coming to our home through oil and natural gas development.

These organizations are reaching out to community leaders and residents in the counties directly being impacted by shale development.  The shared priority is to provide answers about all aspects of shale development, including current regulations governing the oil and gas industry at the state and federal levels, industry standards to protect the environment, and Ohio’s safe development practices.

Our collective objective is to continue to educate Ohioans on the practices and processes used in oil and natural gas extraction, and its potential to power Ohio’s economy, job growth and energy security.

Working with communities across the state to further a fact based conversation regarding Ohio’s energy future, we can continue to move forward together, and ensure success in the development of our homegrown energy resources.

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TOGA Prepares Tuscarawas County for Utica Development

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 | 1 Comment

On Tuesday, the Tuscarawas Oil and Gas Alliance (TOGA) hosted a summit to discuss upcoming shale development in Tuscarawas County.  The gathering brought together community leaders from government, industry, education, workforce, agriculture, tourism and hospitality industries.  The event, held at Kent State University Tuscarawas Campus attracted over 100 individuals interested on learning more about Utica Shale development.

TOGA brought in some of the best experts Ohio has to offer, along with some folks who have first-hand experience in shale development  from next door in Pennsylvania.  The morning’s panel included Rhonda Reda, Executive Director of the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program(OOGEEP); Dr. Bob Chase, Chair of Marietta College’s Petroleum Engineering Program; Pam Snyder, Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Greene County (PA); and Andrew Thomas, Executive-in-Residence, Energy Policy Center, Cleveland State University.

The panel was split into four sections.  Commissioner Snyder covered “What We Found”.  Dr. Chase covered “What we Know.”  Rhonda Reda covered “What We Expect.”  Andrew Thomas covered “What’s the Big Picture.”

These sections were well thought out by TOGA.  They gave the audience an all encompassing view of the potentials of Utica Shale development as well as some of the facts regarding exploration.

Dr. Chase was able to clear up the many misconceptions put forth by those in opposition to oil and gas development.  During his presentation Dr. Chase even shared his feelings on the movie Gasland, a film that, unfortunately, has caused for a lot of misconceptions and unnecessary concerns regarding the processes and practices involved in development.

If you’ve been subjected to the movie Gasland, which is a drama, it was made for money.  It wasn’t made to be factual in my opinion.  Dimock, Pennsylvania has got some people showing gas coming out of their water faucets.  That gas is coming from other sources other than the deep wells in that area. – Dr. Robert Chase

Rhonda Reda provided information on the many programs and services OOGEEP offers to organizations in Ohio,  from scholarships and teacher training to providing fire training for Ohio’s fire departments – all at no cost for attendees.  But what really stood out was the economic development study put together by Kleinhenz and Associates in September 2011.

This discussion shed some light on just how big Utica development could be for Tuscarawas County. The study shows an estimated 204,520 jobs will be created through 2015.  This development is also expected to bring about  over $34 billion in investments through exploration, development, midstream, royalty and lease expenditures.  Economic activity has been so robust that the study’s predictions for 2012 are already being exceeded.

I want to highlight this number here as I want to show you on my next slide.  This is where we were off in my projections.  We projected about 1.4 billion dollars being spent by the end of 2012 and we have already had investments of over $2.75 billion.  That’s a nice number to be off by. – Rhonda Reda

After the crowd got excited by the possibility of the Utica Shale, it was time to learn from someone who has already experienced shale production in their county.  Commissioner Snyder of Greene County, Pennsylvania, shared her experience with the Marcellus Shale development in her county.

Greene County had always been one of the poorest counties in Pennsylvania.  But after Marcellus development began, Commissioner Snyder noticed a change. The county began to see an influx of investment and jobs.  Today, Greene County went from being one of the most depressed counties to a county with one of Pennsylvania’s lowest unemployment in the state.

The lowest that it’s probably ever been in Greene County history and it is in large part to Marcellus Shale gas industry being here.  A recent study out of Pennsylvania just did an analysis on sales tax revenue increases, 67 counties in Pennsylvania and Greene County was 2nd in the highest rate of sales tax increase. A 31.4% increase.  For a county our size, I can’t even tell you what that means. – Pam Snyder

The crowd left with a better sense of what’s possible thanks to the many presentations provided by panelists. Commissioner Snyder’s testimony was particularly compelling, but its important to note her story is not uncommon.  Indeed, similar experiences are occurring in communities in shale plays throughout the United States. Luckily with the leadership of TOGA and interest of the community, Tuscarawas will be well positioned to take full advantage of opportunities provided by Utica Shale development and hopefully become Ohio’s Greene County.

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Of Things to Come…

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 | 2 Comments

This week, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources released initial production statistics for Utica Shale wells in 2011.  What the data show is a limited sample, but an astounding one nonetheless.

For example, one Utica Shale well in Harrison County was responsible for 2% of Ohio’s total natural gas supply last year.  Wouldn’t be much of a stat if there were only 100 wells producing natural gas in Ohio. But guess what? There’s more than 41,000. So, in other words, 0.002 percent of Ohio’s wells were responsible for 2.0 percent of the state’s total natural gas supplies. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Utica Shale.

According to Rick Simmers, chief of ODNR’s Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management, “That well has 300 times more in daily production than the average well drilled vertically into the ground.” And by all accounts, we’re just getting started.

Any way you slice it, that’s good news for Ohio and the nation as the resources we produce here could go a long way toward reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.  A Reuters story this week explains in greater detail exactly why that is – laying out how shale plays throughout the U.S. (the Utica especially) are changing the dynamic for consumers and actually (finally!) doing something about America’s dependence on Mideast oil.  From the piece:

That diet of cheaper, domestic crude would help the Philadelphia plant wean itself away from the Angolan, Azeri, Nigerian and Norwegian oil that is now its mainstay — and which costs some $20 a barrel more than U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate and $35-plus more than North Dakota’s Bakken crude, according to Reuters data.

While this initial look is extremely positive on a local and national level, the development of the Utica is just beginning in Ohio.

This data represents a mere snapshot in time of what will likely be a vast, and growing, resource. To take the production from five wells and forecast the development of the formation across the state would be premature. However, with that knowledge in one hand, the other holds another promising truth: we can marry these figures to other positive indicators in estimating the incredible potential of Ohio’s amazing geological gifts.

This past year alone, we’ve seen enormous amounts of investment poured into the state from producers, developers, upstream and midstream companies alike to create the needed infrastructure required to develop these untold volumes of energy. We’ve seen the long dormant steel industry revived in Youngstown and Lorain as plants prepare to meet the demands of an invested and optimistic oil and gas industry.

Most importantly, we are witnessing enormous and immediate gains in Ohio’s workforce. In the six months since we released our 2011 Economic Impact Study, reported employment tied to shale development has surpassed initial projections. With over 6,000 jobs created or supported by the industry, the opportunity to continue grow our economy is tied directly to continued success in the Utica Shale.

There is much room for optimism, and Ohio’s oil and gas industry is moving forward- safely, responsibly and diligently driving our state’s economic future towards prosperity.

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Happy Birthday! Ohio Celebrates 209 Years with New Shale Jobs

Friday, March 2nd, 2012 | 0 Comments

Happy Birthday, Ohio! It’s been a great 209 years here in the Buckeye state, years rich in revolutionary discoveries, and great influence in the American story. Ohio has served as a springboard for some of the most influential figures and monumental innovations in our nation’s history.We invented flight and the first man to set foot on the moon and eight presidents have called Ohio home, as has voice of the greatest modern American philosopher- Bart Simpson.

It’s a proud history here, and we have a lot to look forward to in the future, thanks in large part to the development of one of Ohio’s greatest homegrown resources, the Utica shale. It is the driving force behind the incredible potential of our days ahead. Unless you’ve been living under a source rock for the past year, you are already aware of the incredible benefits we are seeing across the state; the return of steel in the Mahoning Valley, the drop in unemployment in areas of first-phase development, and the opportunity for our recent graduates and labor force to find new opportunities here at home.

Take Steubenville for example. The birthplace of the “King of Cool”, Dean Martin, was suffering from unemployment rates as high as 15% in 2010. In the past year, shale development has brought 300 new jobs, with 10,000 more expected over the next three years. At this pace, every adult in Steubenville could be working by April 2015.

Carroll County (birthplace of the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence Charles Carroll)  is another example of the positive impact shale development is bringing to Ohio. In November 2010, the county’s unemployment rate sat at a stagnant 11.2%. One year later, thanks to Utica Shale development, that rate has dropped to 8.5%.

That’s what is already happening. What lies ahead is even more exciting.

A recent study by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce highlights the incredible job creation the Utica shale will generate. The study projects 65,000 jobs will be created by the year 2014 with the unimpeded development of Ohio’s shale resources. The disclaimer from the study is that these projections are very conservative, and do not include the possibilities midstream oil employment or the increase in manufacturing will unveil.

The study compliments previous projections released last summer by the OOGEEP Economic Impact Study. With development expected to kick into high gear in the following years, the OOGEP study projects 204,000 jobs in 2015. That’s almost a thousand jobs for each of Ohio’s 209 years of existence!

Almost on cue as the Chamber was rolling out it’s study more companies were announcing new investment and hundreds of new jobs.

These new Ohio shale ventures are here because of the great potential our state has now and in the future, and this is attracting investment from all across the country.  Lt. Governor Mary Taylor summed this situation up quite nicely:

They’re choosing to come to Ohio from Houston and we competed against West Virginia and Pennsylvania and they choose Ohio. And I think that announcement itself demonstrates the opportunities we have here in Ohio.

All of this is coming on the heels of last week’s announcement – one described as Tuscarawas County’s biggest employment opportunity in at least 10 years – from Schlumberger Limited on the opening of their Strasburg location and the additional 200 new jobs it will bring.

Indeed, these are exciting times in Ohio.  So, as we celebrate the birthday of our great state, let’s take pause to recognize the greatness we have achieved here throughout the past 209 years, and the great opportunity we have in the Utica shale to ensure 209 more prosperous years to come.

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