The summer of 2013 is starting off strong in eastern Ohio. U.S. Senator Rob Portman’s office hosted an energy jobs fair this week in Youngstown, in partnership with the Ohio Oil & Gas Association and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce. More than two dozen companies and roughly 15 training centers and universities sent representatives to…

Energy In Depth's Shawn reports on Dr. Paul Chastko's presentation to Ohio University Zanesville on the long history of shale development:

"Ohio University-Zanesville hosted Dr. Paul Chastko, faculty member at the University of Calgary and Ohio University Alumni, yesterday for a lecture on natural gas development as part of their Kennedy…

Energy In Depth's Mike reports Quinnipiac's new poll regarding shale development in Ohio:

"A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that by a substantial margin Ohio voters believe the economic benefits of oil and natural gas development outweigh any perceived environmental concerns associated with the activity.   Specifically, the poll found a substantial 63 – 30 percent…

UPDATE II ( 1:13 p.m. ET; Apr. 22, 2013) – Ohio is getting closer to having a vast network of midstream operations in place.  The Utica East Ohio cryogenic plant in Columbiana County is being built at a rapid pace.  Until plants like these come online, production at many natural gas wells across the state is being held back.

George Fransisco, executive vice president of…

Energy In Depth's Mike Chadsey reports on a recent Road Usage Maintenance Agreement (RUMA) from PDC Energy:

"UPDATE III (4/19/13, 2:55 pm ET)

For over a year, Energy in Depth has updated our readers about RUMAs, which are agreements between a producer and a county that cover road repairs, upgrades and bonding. The idea behind the RUMA is simple: Leave it better than you found it. Perhaps even more important is that the agreement stipulates designated travel…

This week, Rick Simmers, Chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources — Division of Oil & Gas Resources, traveled to Washington, DC, to explain to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee that Ohio’s hydraulic fracturing and Class II injection well program is properly regulated by the state —…

Energy In Depth's Shawn debunks Bloomberg's claims about Ohio's Utica Shale:

"In its recent coverage of the Ohio shale industry, Bloomberg News suggested that the oil and gas industry is leaving Ohio in droves. It’s fitting that baseball season is underway, because the report was an unequivocal swing and miss.

The central problem with Bloomberg’s narrative is that…

This week, Energy In Depth attended an event in Canton that would have seemed highly unlikely just one year ago.  Labor groups, oil and gas industry representatives, local elected officials from both parties, and multiple chambers of commerce all came together to talk about Utica Shale development, the Keystone XL, and why both are important to Ohioans.  The event was aptly titled, “Investing in America: Building Ohio Jobs,” and was hosted by the newly formed…

Energy In Depth's Shawn dissects the troubling inaccuracies in Youngstown's proposed "Community Bill of Rights":

"The proposed Youngstown Community Bill of Rights, on which the community will vote on May 4th, offers more questions than answers.  The charter amendment, which was written by Frack…

The new director of YPE Canton guest blogs for EID about the new group:

"Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) is a non-profit energy industry networking organization with over 20,000 members worldwide. The group has more than 20 chapters and is the first and only inter-disciplinary networking and volunteer organization for young people in the global energy industry.

Utica Shale development here in Ohio is often compared to our neighbor in…

Energy In Depth's Shawn tells the succes story of Matheson Valley:

"Matheson Tri-Gas Inc. (dba Matheson Valley), an establishment that has been in the Ohio Valley for over 85 years, has seen a lot of customers throughout its long history.  The company has serviced the steel industry, power plants, chemical plants, welding and fabrication shops, hospitals and other businesses throughout the area.  Now, thanks to increased shale development in…

Energy In Depth's Mike reports on the press conference last Friday announcing the Mahoning Valley Coalition for Job Growth and Investment, a group aimed at educating the public on the negative consequences of the proposed oil and gas ban in Youngstown:

"On Friday, the Mahoning Valley Coalition for Growth and Investment held a joint…

This week, Oilfield Trucking Solutions, an affiliate of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, held a job fair in New Philadelphia in hopes of finding more than 20 qualified workers to drive water trucks in Canton and Wheeling.  As many have heard around the Buckeye State, truck drivers are in high demand, and a large part of…

Energy In Depth's Mike reports on 3 growing groups of young people in Ohio working to educate the public and engage themselves with the industry:

"The discussion about workforce development occurs frequently in boardrooms and classrooms all over Ohio, and in particular the eastern part of our state. One of the biggest questions is, How do we replace our aging workforce? Ohio’s growing shale oil and gas industry — which continues to grow — is no different.

Of course, one of the…

An Akron company has found its niche in the oil and gas industry.  Skycasters, a telecommunications company that provides Internet connections in remote areas, has grown its business thanks to increased oil and gas production in Ohio.  They offer portable satellite Internet technology to customers like governments, first responders, and other companies requiring a consistent and reliable Internet connection.

According to the…

Those involved in the oil and gas industry have been touting America’s “manufacturing renaissance” thanks to affordable natural gas for the last couple years.  Now, the theory is garnering broad support from business leaders and economists across the country.  National Public Radio ran a story this week about the increase in manufacturing resulting from the incredible technology which provides…

EID's Shawn reports on yesterday's Chesapeake Ohio operations update: 

"In one of his first actions as the acting chief executive of Chesapeake Energy, Steve Dixon held an operations updateconference call at 8:30 this morning.  While many areas were covered, Dixon’s update on Chesapeake’s Utica Shale operations was worth noting  as it provided a very positive picture…

EID's Mike reports on the proposed US Route 30 project between Canton and the PA border:

"Yesterday, the Ohio Department of Transportation released the findings of their most recent study of extending US Route 30 from where it currently ends at Trump Avenue in Stark County to the Pennsylvania border at Route 11. US 30 is a four lane highway from the Ohio – Indiana border…