"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 exploration and production.  The project includes a $150 million cryogenic processing plant, and an additional $150 million in pipelines that will extend from western Pennsylvania to Mahoning and Columbiana counties in Ohio.

NiSource COO Chad Zamarin came to the Mahoning Valley this week to meet with local officials and reporters, revealing the project could see even more investment in the next few years:

“We believe our initial $300 million project has the potential over the next few years to be $1 billion worth of investment in this very footprint” —Chad Zamarin (NiSource Exec: $300M Gas Project Could Grow to $1B, 5/1/13)

You read that right — $1 billion. Foreseeing the need for more infrastructure, NiSource is preparing the site for future investment, as Zamarin explained:

“We’re developing an area that will allow for multiple plants to be sited. When we do come back and expand the location, it can be done at very little impact” —Chad Zamarin (NiSource Exec: $300M Gas Project Could Grow to $1B, 5/1/13)

He also stated that 200 local excavators, operating engineers, and laborers are preparing the site for the new plant. Translation: hundreds of new jobs. As work continues, he said the number of local contractors and members from the building trades could grow to around 1,000."

READ THE REST: http://www.eidohio.org/hickory-bend-investment-could-reach-1b/