America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) recently donated $50,000 to the Support Our Troops Education Fund.  The money will go towards scholarships for Ohio veterans pursuing a career in the natural gas industry.  Through a partnership with Stark State College in North Canton and Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville, the funds will…

EID's Shawn:

"Last week the Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution supporting a statewide ban on injection wells, which unfortunately isn’t the first time they have taken aim at disposal wells.  Just last year they passed a resolution to ban…

UPDATE (5/21/2013, 10:13pm ET): Earlier this month, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) released its first 30 CNG buses for use.  While they don’t look much different than the typical diesel-fuel bus, COTA will definitely notice the difference in cost.  They pay about $3.20 for a gallon of diesel fuel, but will pay only about 80 cents for a gallon equivalent of natural gas.  All told, COTA could save $28,800 a year in fuel…

Energy In Depth's Mike:

One of the most pervasive claims made about shale development has to do with disclosure — namely, that the industry is withholding information from medical professionals about additives used during hydraulic fracturing. This has been advanced by the likes of Ohio Citizens Action, a vocal anti-development group, as well as a handful of other…

Dr. Robert W. Chase, Chair and Professor at Marietta College, gives background on Ohio production data:

"After at least an extra month of guarded anticipation, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) finally released oil and gas production data on 86 wells producing from the Utica shale during 2012.  Oddly enough, an article from Reuters appearing in Friday’s papers dismisses the Utica play as a bust.  To quote the…

Energy In Depth's Shawn reports on Antero's Utica Shale activity:

"In January 2013, Antero announced in its corporate budget that it would be investing roughly $150 million in the Utica/Point Pleasant this year, while bringing in two rigs to develop its leasehold.  On Monday, Antero…

The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) firefighter training program reached a milestone recently when it trained its 1,000^th 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…

Energy In Depth's Shawn responds to the Columbus Dispatch article making unfounded claims about Ohio pipeline development:

"As many of us in eastern Ohio have seen, there has been a tremendous amount of pipeline work happening in this portion of the state.  The pipelines are necessary due to the liquids-rich gas that the Utica Shale/Point Pleasant provides– liquids that include valuable products like butane, propane, ethane and pentane. These components are what make the Utica Shale…

Energy In Depth's Mike talks about the revival of the stretch of Route 422 in Youngstown that is seeing an economic revival and helping the city get back on track:

"Call it the comeback of the century.  Thanks in large part to Utica shale development, the blue-collar, hard-working, never-say-die Youngstown is making steel again. Folks have heard this over the last two years, but what some might not know is that while the $1.1 billion V&M Star plant is huge, the facility could…

Energy In Depth's Shawn tells the success story of Youngstown company Dearing Compressor. The blog was also featured in the Youngstown Business Journal:

"Dearing Compressor and Pump is seeing a rejuvenation in their business since shale development has begun in the Utica and Marcellus.  The company makes compressor packages for the oil and gas industry, which help transport natural gas and liquids through pipelines to utilities and processing…

"Last night, voters in the City of Youngstown roundly rejected an ill advised “Community Bill of Rights” charter amendment that threatened the city from regaining its status as the economic powerhouse it once was.  The final vote tally shows the charter amendment was handily defeated by a 57% to 43% margin.  In the end 3,821 voted against the measure while only 2,880 voted to enact the…

Energy In Depth's Shawn blogs on the opening of Zane State's oil and gas land lab:

"On Friday, Zane State College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of its oil and gas land laboratory at the Willett-Pratt Training Center in Cambridge, Ohio.  The lab, which was constructed by…

Energy in Depth's Shawn covers the tedious process of permitting in Ohio:

"A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch, entitled “Drillers: Ohio easy place to do business in,” left readers with the impression that Ohio has a rubber stamp system for permitting oil and gas development, and by extension a lack of proper scrutiny on safety and environmental protection.…

"As many have heard, an important project is underway in Springfield Township in southern Mahoning County:  $300 million is being spent on the Hickory Bend gas gathering and processing project, which is being developed by NiSource Midstream Services LLC and Hilcorp Energy’s joint venture, Pennant Midstream LLC.  NiSource is mainly responsible for infrastructure development and Hilcorp will work on…

"UPDATE (05/01/13 10:00 am ET):  Chesapeake hosted its first quarter earnings call this morning, during which the company spoke highly of its development in the Utica.  As many know, Chesapeake is the largest operator in the Utica Shale and continues to invest heavily in Ohio.  

Chesapeake is operating 14 rigs in Ohio and has developed 249 wells to date.  They have 66 wells producing,…

Building on strong numbers from the first quarter of 2013, Utica Shale development in the second quarter of 2013 has been taking off in Ohio. Of course, we see headlines each week in newspapers all over the Buckeye state indicating new jobs, investments,…

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…