Home » Posts tagged "Rhonda Reda"

Posts tagged "Rhonda Reda"

Oil & Gas Industry Links Up With Logistics Council

Thursday, March 21st, 2013 | 0 Comments

This week the Columbus Region Logistics Council (CRLC) hosted an educational event titled “Central Ohio Logistics and the Shale Play”.  CRLC members got first hand advice and information from key people in the industry including Rhonda Reda of the Ohio Oil & Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP), Mark Matusick of Chesapeake Energy, and Linda Woggon of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Ohio Shale Coalition.  The council saw the need to educate the members after learning shale development will benefit and affect all of Ohio, not just eastern counties.

It made sense for CRLC to get involved and understand their potential role in the shale supply chain because much of their mission benefits the growing oil and gas industry.  The CRLC aims to do the following:

Members of CRLC first heard from Rhonda Reda with the OOGEEP.  She gave an Oil & Gas 101 while also explaining to the crowd where the industry is today and also how to interpret things they hear in the media.  For example, she told members to be wary of headlines.  Over the past year, some media outlets have claimed the oil and gas industry is slowing down and less wells are being drilled than ever before.  The latter is true, but it’s misleading.  She explained that because of technology, we can develop less wells but produce more oil and natural gas.  She also explained the difference between Ohio and other states including what is actually coming out of the ground and where we are with midstream development.

Since the council’s pillars include workforce training, Reda highlighted some of OOGEEP’s work including teacher training, firefighter training, and the organization working with more than 55 training centers, universities, vocational schools, and technical centers in Ohio.  She ended her presentation by giving some advice.  She told the crowd to find out where their company fits in.  She urged them to find out what their good at and find out how that benefits the industry.

Next, Linda Woggon Executive Vice President of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Ohio Shale Coalition, talked about the economics of Ohio’s shale development and how big it could really be.  She explained the Coalition’s economic assessment and the benefits coming Ohio’s way including jobs, investment and tax revenue.  She took time during the event to chat with Energy In Depth about the event:

I specifically talked to them about our economic assessment study. It showed them how this is going to have a broad impact on Ohio’s economy. Whether you’re upstream, midstream, or downstream there’s an opportunity for everyone.  We’re going to create thousands of jobs and have a huge impact on growing Ohio—Linda Woggon (:18)

Mark Matusick of Chesapeake Energy gave CRLC members an industry perspective.  First, he gave the crowd and update on Chesapeake’s operations in Ohio.  He stated they are the largest leaseholder in the state and have hired 550 employees since coming to Ohio in 2010.  They’ve paid $34 million in wages and spent $3.3 billion on capital investment.  They’ve spent $50 million direct investment on Ohio roads, upgrading more than 150 miles.

He then focused on explaining the different jobs available to Ohioans from the shale play.  He said most of the jobs won’t be direct, working with actual operators.  He said many will be indirect and induced.  Of the 38,000 jobs created by shale development last year, only 4,000 were direct. Therefore, there are many opportunities for those in the logistics industry.

Overall, the CRLC hosted a great event.  Many members had insightful questions for the speakers and were eager to get involved.  If there’s something we’ve learned over the past two years, it’s that every industry has a role in Ohio’s growing oil and gas industry.

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Daily Jeffersonian OpEd: What is really going on in Ohio?

Monday, February 18th, 2013 | 1 Comment

In late 2011, the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) released the Ohio Oil and Gas Industry Economic Impact Study. The Study, conducted by Kleinhenz & Associates, recognized the significant impact of both the current oil and gas industry, as well as the economic and job potential of the Utica-Point Pleasant Shale formation. The report was met with skepticism, with critics making claims of skewed exaggeration.

Today, barely a year later, billions of dollars have been invested in our state, and a recent study conducted by IHS-Cera on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, shows 38,000 Ohio jobs have been generated thanks to the development of our local energy resource. Our state has also jumped from 48th to fourth in overall job creation, and in the Midwest, Ohio ranks first in this category.

The evidence has shown our numbers were not exaggerated, but rather ones that now appear to have been too conservative. Over the past year, our focus quickly shifted from projections to actions that are ensuring Ohioans are prepared to maximize the incredible opportunity this industry continues to offer to our state.

Preparing our local workforce afforded by the industry in the years to come, is the utmost priority for the industry. With funding from Ohio’s natural gas and crude oil producers, and no burdensome taxpayer dollars, OOGEEP is now working with 45 Ohio colleges, universities, career centers and vocational schools gearing up to help meet the continued demand for trained workers in the next several years. Another 1,800 Ohio industry workers and 978 Ohio firefighters have completed specialized technical and safety training programs.

In 2012, an additional 35 scholarships were awarded to Ohio students through our industry funded Scholarship Foundation, and to date more than 1,300 K-12 schools and 2,600 teachers from all 88 Ohio counties have participated in state and nationally recognized STEM based curriculum workshops. The investment in education and workforce training our industry makes today is paramount to our future success.

We conducted 208 public presentations around the state last year to local communities, business leaders, chambers and professional groups in order to educate the public not only on the common practices and technical processes involved in the exploration, drilling and production of natural gas and crude oil, but also on the number of local communities and businesses that can best position themselves to take advantage of the potential benefits afforded by the Ohio geological gift beneath our feet. There is still too much misinformation surrounding Ohio’s oil and gas industry.

In the coming year, and the years ahead, we will continue our focus on education, and preparation with our schools, our communities and our workforce. By working together in this shared experience, we can ensure a future of great promise, and immeasurable opportunity.

Truth be told, the thousands of jobs already created — and the billions of dollars in Ohio investments — are only a glimpse of what’s to come in the years ahead … and we are just getting started.

**Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in The Daily Jeffersonian on January 25, 2013.**

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Something Doesn’t Smell Right: Activist’s Theatrics Fail in Youngstown

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 | 0 Comments

This October, the Youngstown City Council invited Rhonda Reda, Executive Director of the resulted in an arrest.

At the Youngstown event Elizabeth Khumprakob, 30, began screaming over Ms. Reda early into her presentation. The outburst was addressed by the council members, who asked the young woman to be respectful of the speaker – a request she ignored, prompting Councilman Mike Ray to request that security remove her from the meeting.

Aside from vocally disrupting the meeting, Ms. Khumprakob removed a jar of what she claimed to be brine – or “hazardous material” as she phrased it – which she indicated came from a disposal well near her house.

As she was escorted from the premises, she left the jar on a table inside the council room, enclosed in a paper bag.
As the presentation continued, a fire chief for the City Office Building came into the room. It would later come to light the activist had placed a call to 911 to report “hazardous material” in the council chambers.

Upon finishing her presentation, Rhonda Reda spoke with the fire chief and offered to test the contents of the jar, and proceeded to do so at the fire chief and Councilman Ray’s request.

BioSolutions, LLC of Chagrin Falls, OH, analyzed the contents, and returned a report with interesting results.

The analysis showed the fluid certainly was NOT hazardous, but rather had a composition completely unrelated to any aspect of oil and gas development. And, it appears to be wholly man (or woman) made.
From the report:

Analysts noted the sample had odors of vinegar (acetic acid) and chewing tobacco. We lack the necessary organic analytical instruments and knowledge to corroborate these observations.

Continued:

Using a pH probe and meter was deemed too likely to damage the probe with the associated expense of probe replacement. pH using pH paper was in the 3-5 pH range. Conductivity was not measured for the same reason.

The visual paucity of microbes in the photographs is explained by the low pH. The oil layer on top will impede, if not eliminate, oxygen exchange to the aqueous portion of the sample, but facultative and anaerobic bacteria should still have been visible in the microscopic photographs had they been present.

A 1/100 dilution of the sample was analyzed via ion chromatography. Chloride is present at around 10,000 mg/L and sulfate around 480 mg/L. Chloride and sulfate concentrations vary, but are both in the 5-100 mg/L range for most water wells we have analyzed.

Hypothesis

If cider vinegar was supplemented with table salt, vegetable oil and some leafy material such as chewing tobacco, a sample with similar characteristics could be the result (emphasis added).

Cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and chewing tobacco – all elements not likely to be used in oil and gas development, nor would they likely be found in any naturally occurring brine.

Though Ms. Khumprakob’s actions were akin to yelling “fire” in a movie theater in an attempt to incite panic over this “hazardous waste.”  In the end, her theatrics posed the greatest threat that night in Youngstown.

These dramatic and visually stunning tactics are not new to the organizations that oppose the safe development of fossil fuels. From the misleading imagery used by Josh Fox in Gasland, to Mark Mangan’s “brown jug”, activists repeatedly use these props, but only rarely do they accept the offer for testing.

It’s something we’ve experienced in Ohio before, something we’ve witnessed quite recently and something we are likely to see again.

During a Chesapeake job fair earlier this year, while hundreds of Ohioans waited in line to learn about employment opportunities in Ohio, one gentlemen was showcased a jar of what was supposedly contaminated well water. To the passers-by, the image would be alarming. A closer inspection would probably be even more alarming, given the nature of the deceptive effort:

We’ve got some ‘Frack-accinos’…this is tap water from a well, tap water near a well that has been ‘fracked’, it is poisoned, we’ve added food coloring for dramatic effect.. (0:14)

The young activist goes on to explain the water has caused serious illnesses in Mahoning County – a situation that would surely be news to the region’s residents.

Sometimes, the line between fact and fiction is long and wide.

Ohio’s continued development of our oil and natural gas resources holds too great a potential to be discussed in anything but an honest, fact-based fashion, not one based in theatrics, innuendo and misleading props. It is unfortunate that there are those, like Ms. Khumprakob, who would seek to instill fear in order to promote an agenda that is refuted by experience and scientific analysis.

This most recent example serves as yet another reminder of the importance of diligent and vigilant research on the subject to ensure legitimate education is taking place.

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

2nd Annual Hispanic Business Summit Draws Natural Gas Industry

Friday, August 24th, 2012 | 0 Comments

This week, Energy in Depth – Ohio attended the 2nd annual Ohio Hispanic Business Summit, sponsored in part by the Ohio Energy Resource Alliance (OERA). As a member of the OERA, we recognize the importance of reaching out to various community groups across Ohio to engage in a fact based conversation about Utica shale development. The Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s event provided just that opportunity.

Designed as an educational forum to connect business professionals to the various industries with operations in the State of Ohio, the summit activated business leaders, entrepreneurs and owners to learn from professionals as they present current trends and information in a variety of areas. The day provided a great opportunity for members and non-members to network, share ideas and skills, and allowed folks from various industries in Ohio – including the oil and natural gas industry- to explain what their needs for the many service companies in attendance at the summit.

Since there is no greater economic-revitalizing engine in the Buckeye state than the Utica Shale, it was a great opportunity for Energy in Depth and our energy partners in the state t0 be able answer questions and provide information about the workforce development and training programs that are available – an endevour that fits the mold of the Chamber’s mission:

As a business advocacy organization representing the Hispanic chambers in Ohio, the Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is committed to foster economic growth and are an integral and vibrant part of the economic engine revitalizing our greater state of Ohio. (8/23/12)

Thankfully – one of Ohio’s best was on hand to discuss how the industry can and will continue to work to return the state to prosperity. Listen to Rhonda Reda from the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program below as she explains the jobs that are needed to serve the oil and  natural gas industry:

.

We have been in so many communities across the state, working with the schools, putting on the business to business development and that is really where it starts.  – Rhonda Reda, OOGEEP

A central goal of the Hispanic Chambers is to connect their membership to people, resources and information to support growth and prosperity. It’ a goal shared by Energy in Depth – Ohio, and Ohio’s oil and natural gas industry.

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

OOGEEP Teacher Workshop Shows History, Future of Oil & Gas

Thursday, June 21st, 2012 | 3 Comments

For the last fourteen years, the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program has been holding teacher workshops aimed at providing information about the oil and gas industry.  Now that  more Ohioans are hearing about the incredible opportunities stemming from shale development, these workshops are taking off!

Not only can teachers bring information back to their classroom and earn their continuing education units, but they can also receive Ashland University graduate credit for their participation.  Teachers are even given resources such as lesson plans, classroom supplies, and many other educational materials.

The two-day workshop started with OOGEEP Director Rhonda Reda and several guest speakers leading information sessions on topics starting with geological formations, going through the entire development process, and the products we use every day that come from oil and gas.  That night, attendees had the opportunity to network with other educators and industry representatives on a riverboat reception on the Ohio River.

The second day, the enthusiastic group of teachers boarded a bus and headed out on a field trip.  The outing included four stops aimed at highlighting the various steps of oil and gas development.

First stop, Miller Supply in Marietta.  The group learned the supply center provides everything the oil and gas industry needs from when they start the project to completion and beyond.  Teachers were able to walk around the supply field through hundreds of pipes that will soon be put to  use in natural gas wells.  They also got first hand looks at pumps that will be on sites in their home counties.  Many in the group cheered as Scott Craycraft of Miller Supply pointed out that many of the pipes the group were seeing were made from recycled steel scraps.

Miller Supply

Next, the group ventured to Ohio Oil Gathering Corp’s Bell Run Station where they learned the facility receives oil produced around the region and is then sent to get refined.  The facility’s prime location on the Ohio River gives them the advantage of transporting the oil on barges.

Ohio Oil Gathering Corp

After a break for lunch (and a perfect photo-op), the teachers headed to Dominion Ludlow Compressor Station to learn what happens to most of southeast Ohio’s natural gas before it is sent to market.  The station moves five million cubic feet  of natural gas per day.  Marty Miller of Alliance Petroleum put that in perspective by pointing out that the approximately 500 wells, like those feeding into this station, produce around the same amount of natural gas as one Utica Shale well.  This means more production and less surface impact while creating jobs and cheaper energy sources for Ohioans.

Dominion Ludlow Compressor Station

The last stop won’t be easy for the teachers to forget.  The group was led far into the woods to a near 100-year-old cable tool rig.  You read that correctly – one-hundred years old!

The rig powered three wells around the area using a big wheel (featured below) and is started by actual manpower.  Teachers gathered around as crude oil started to come out of the ground and into a container in front of them.  OOGEEP’s Rhonda Reda mentioned that Ohio is coming up on its 200 year anniversary of the state’s first oil rig and hopes that seeing a structure like this will show people how far the industry and the amazing technology it utilizes has come.

Crude Oil from Cable Tool Rig

During the field trip, EID-O had a chance to speak to some of the teachers in attendance and pique their interest.  Kathy Duckworth of Marietta City Schools came because an email from administrator sparked her interest.

Today tied it all together. We actually saw the pipelines, pieces being made, the wells and the distribution centers. So you get to see the entire thing from beginning to end.—Kathy Duckworth (:21)

Heather Hesson, a life sciences teacher at Caldwell High School told us about the necessity of the process and her realization of it all happening in her backyard:

I’m locally from this area and didn’t realize that it’s in my backyard.  I have family that does and have worked in the business in different aspects of it and I never fully understood it until today—Heather Hesson (:46)

Coleman McCoy, an Energy Sciences and Physical Sciences teacher at New Lexington High School, heard about the workshop when he was inquiring about a petroleum engineering program at Zane State College.  He emphasized the opportunities for his students that the program highlighted:

I think the best thing I’m going to take away is just the amount of jobs that I can hopefully take back to these students.  We saw the supply line, we saw production, we saw them actually out on the field, we saw a pump processing plant, so I think being able to take all that back and show these kids the vast avenues and gainful employment hopefully they can get—Coleman McCoy (1:22)

Hesson echoed McCoy, emphasizing the opportunities for students who choose to go on to college or take the vocational route:

From the petroleum engineering, for the kids that are really superb in their math and science skills, to the technician jobs that they are really looking for right now for kids that are going the vocational route, there are a lot of job opportunities there.  There’s a lot we can take back to our kids, career-wise, that they’re looking for right now, which is great—Heather Hesson (1:44)

Like Hesson and McCoy, many of the workshop’s teachers realized the opportunities that will be available for their students because of shale development.  OOGEEP has compiled lists, categories, and qualifications for plenty of jobs in the industry.  With growing energy needs and new avenues to fill them, today’s students will fill tomorrow’s jobs and Ohio will be a huge part of that.  Three more workshops will be held in Ohio before September and they couldn’t come at a more important time in Ohio’s history.  It is important for Ohioans to be educated on the oil and gas industry to ensure safe and successful development as technology continues to provide opportunities.  Marty Miller said it best on the bus ride home:

“We’re sitting on it, and this technology is changing the game.”

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube !

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter  and  YouTube !

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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.

READ MORE

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter !

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

65 Years and Still Producing

Monday, March 19th, 2012 | 0 Comments

Happy Anniversary OOGA!

Last week EID Ohio joined the Ohio Oil and Gas Association in Columbus at their winter meeting. The association was celebrating 65 years as Ohio’s  natural gas and crude oil industry association in the Buckeye State.

This year’s attendance was staggering reaching over 1,500 compared, to 700 last year.  Just another example of what developing the Utica shale is doing for Ohio. During the meeting OOGA Executive Vice President Tom Stewart also announced that OOGA gained an additional 850 members within the last year.

During a busy week filled with business sessions, awards presentations and more, EID-Ohio spoke at the board of trustees meeting and as part of an outreach panel held on Friday.  The message we provided at the two events was the same, there exists in Ohio a small number of people who are organized, well funded and driven to disrupt, stop and protest the natural gas industry here in Ohio.

Protestors Break and Enter Create False Documents

On the first day of the meeting a small band of protesters snuck into the hotel using a side door and proceeded to wonder around the trade show. Not a problem right? Guess again.  These uninvited guests were passing out flyers that were made to look like they were created by OOGA, by using the OOGA logo throughout the document.  Of course, the fake pamphlet was designed to appear as if it was a talking points document used by OOGA in discussions with policymakers, landowners and other stakeholders.  Of course it was not, this was easily noticeable as soon as one read the document.

In some places this is called fraud, of course based on this offering that seems to be just another day at the office for those seeking to block the responsible development of the Utica Shale.

One has the right to voice their opinion, and they are entitled to it, but you may not have your own facts. So go ahead and protest development outside, you will be in the overwhelming minority but you have the right. But that is not what happened here. They came into the hotel and deliberately distributed false information in an attempt to tear down an industry that is providing tens of thousands of jobs for Ohioans that otherwise would not be available.

This is not a debate for these folks; this is not a difference of opinion among adults, this is a blatant disregard for the truth and a willingness to distort any facts to attempt to further their cause and message. Of course this type of behavior is not new to the anti natural gas development crowd- indeed misrepresentation of the facts is the only message they seem to know.

These protestors were promptly escorted out of the hotel and off the property. They probably, just jumped in their car, that was filled with a petroleum product, and headed home.

Conference Continues By Focusing on Successes of Utica Shale Development

On the second day of the meeting EID joined others in  a break out session where the topic of the day was  updated state regulations as well as presentations from the leadership of the Ohio Senate about upcoming legislation that would impact the industry.

The second day ended with a reception where large and small local producers and engineering firms relayed excitement about  creating jobs for Ohioans throughout the state.

All in all this was a great week for the E&P industry in Ohio. EID-Ohio was able to connect with some old friends and meet some new ones. Everyone is working towards the same goals here in Ohio cheap, home grown, reliable energy that puts Ohioans back to work.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,