Gas Odyssey: Clean-Burning American Energy Creating Thousands of Jobs, Untold Economic Opportunity
Francis Ford Coppola served as executive director of the Golden Globe-nominated The Odyssey in 1997. Back in 1968, Stanley Kubrick directed the Oscar award-winning 2001: A Space Odyssey. Both were decent movies. Both did decent at the box office. But the truth is, neither of these puppies can hold a candle to the recently released Gas Odyssey film pulled together by young documentarian Aaron Price.
What do we know about movies, you ask? Absolutely nothing. But here’s what we do know: Price’s story about a community rallying together to support the responsible conversion of clean-burning natural gas resources into jobs, revenue and opportunity for the future is as genuine John Wayne. And if you haven’t seen the trailer for it yet, well, you don’t know what you’re missing out on, friend.
The responsible development of the Marcellus Shale – considered to be the world’s second largest natural gas reserve in the world – is generating untold amounts of economic activity and job creation. At the same time, this safe, heavily-regulated production – enabled by advancements in horizontal drilling technologies coupled with the 60-year old energy stimulation process called hydraulic fracturing – is unlocking enormous amounts of clean-burning, American natural gas.
Price highlights this once-in-a-lifetime economic transformation that is rejuvenating and bringing hope to communities that have historically been down on their luck. Throughout the 117 minute documentary, Price captures the stories of family farmers, school administrators, small businesses owners and landowners whose lives, and lives of those who make up their communities, have been positively and directly affected by this production.
But this film doesn’t tell just one story – it tells two. See, in Pennsylvania, private landowners are permitted to produce shale gas on their land. However, in New York – just a couple miles away across the state border – the government in Albany has a de facto moratorium in place preventing the responsible development of Marcellus shale gas, and its associated economic benefits, from moving forward.
Here are just a few of the key firsthand accounts that Price captures:
Stephen Herz of Windsor NY, who’s owned a family horse for 60 years:
“Broome County is in a dire position, and quite franking, allowing responsible natural gas drill is a clear light at the end of this tunnel. … The natural gas opportunity is this community’s salvation … This opportunity will filter down through our community, creating jobs, creating revenue, and giving our citizens reason to hope and reason for a bright future here in Broome County. … If the gas industry isn’t allowed to responsibly thrive in Broome County, you might just as well place a closed sign on this community.”
James Worden, also of Windsor, says this, speaking on behalf of more 3,000 upstate New Yorkers:
“They tell me that they are losing their jobs, and other hardships they suffer.”
Julie Lewis, of the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, says this, nothing the “astounding” potential economic benefits:
“We have not seen contamination by frac fluid, but that’s what everyone keeps talking about.”
Jon Dietz, truck driver in Montrose, PA, tells Price this:
“In my opinion, there’s nothing detrimental to our area with what’s going on right now. It’s bringing jobs, it’s bringing money. And its’ improving everything. This was a dead community. Our last factory closed years ago.”
Price talks to Derek Matolka, who’s enrolled in Lackawanna College’s natural gas technology program, and commutes from Vestal, NY:
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do before, but I’m excited about this program and to join the gas industry following graduation.”
Broome County executive, Barbara Fiala, a tireless advocate for economic opportunity and job creation, adds this:
“Nothing would compare to what gas drilling would mean to the community,” in terms of jobs and positive economic impact.
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Associated Press: “Plenty of folks like Matoushek are eager for the gas, and the royalty checks, to start flowing — including farmers who see Marcellus money as a way to keep their struggling operations afloat. “It’s a depressed area,” Matoushek said. “This is going to mean new jobs, real jobs, not government jobs.” (4/18/10)
Marcellus Shale Coalition Touts Economic Benefits: “Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said the industry complies with environmental regulations. … ”We are eager and ready to work with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, just as we are with every other state government agency and regulatory body, to ensure that safe, responsible, heavily regulated shale gas development continues to drive economic opportunity and job creation in an environmentally responsible way.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/17/10)
Joint natural gas venture will bring more jobs to area: “In terms of hiring, what we anticipate is likely adding about 500 employees over the next five years to accomplish what we will do in our new activities. The vast majority of those employees will be people working in our core operating areas, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties,” he said. “We are proabably looking at hiring about 100 new employees each year as we ramp up,” he said. “In terms of the types of jobs, they will range from all aspects of the whole drilling operation. … We estimate that for every Atlas employee we hire there’s probably four contractor employees who work for the service companies and others we deal with,” Kupfer said.” (Herald-Standard, 4/18/10)
Thanks to Fracturing, Gas OPEC looks less likely: “Qatar, GECF member and the world’s biggest gas exporter, has invested heavily in building new LNG facilities and is not interested in reducing production. Russia, another of the group’s biggest exporters, no longer supports the idea either, despite recent comments from Gazprom bristling at the success of US shale gas, and its problems with the growing preference for cheaper spot pricing for pipeline gas.” (Financial Times, 3/19/10)
Shale Gas Generating Millions for Local Louisiana Communities: “Mineral lease bonus payments in the Haynesville Shale natural gas area totaled more than $2.1 million this past week for Caddo Parish and Shreveport. Parish government raked in another $1.3 million in advance payments as part of an agreement to allow oil or natural gas to be extracted. The state Mineral Board leased rights to about 165 acres of Caddo public property during its auction in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.” (Associated Press, 4/18/10)
Prosperity 101: PA College President Weighs-in on Shale Gas: “Northeastern Pennsylvania has an opportunity to become part of the solution through the careful and thoughtfully regulated extraction of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. Natural gas emits far less carbon than oil or coal. Other technologies such as nuclear-generated power and wind power also offer significant opportunities, but will take longer to develop. Natural gas is an excellent short-term way to limit pollutants while not sacrificing continued economic growth and prosperity here and abroad.” (Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times-Leader, 4/19/10)
Quicksilver CEO: Plenty of life left in Barnett; And Thanks HF, These Job-Creating Resources Are Now Reachable: “Quicksilver Resources Inc. is about a decade into the Barnett Shale, but it still has another 10 years of projects ahead, the company’s top executive said last week. The Fort Worth-based oil and gas exploration company began leasing in the North Texas gas play back in the early 2000s and now produces 250 million cubic feet equivalent of gas per day from its 162,000-acre leasehold, which runs from Denton County southwest to Bosque County. … “We’ve got a lot of gas up here in this Horn River Basin,” Darden said. The company has drilled four wells to date, one of which was flaring at more than 10 MMcf per day before being hydraulically fractured.” (Fort Worth Business Press, 4/19/10)
About Those Jobs: PA Paper Says College Connects Courses, Gas Industry: “With a new industry bringing truckloads of gas workers from other areas, Pennsylvania College of Technology has begun offering a number of programs to help area residents learn the basic skills needed for employment in the Marcellus Shale region. The process of forging a partnership with industry companies and contractors began about a year ago when a Penn College team, in partnership with the Penn State Cooperative Extension, launched the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center to act as a central resource for workforce training.” (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 4/18/10)
Two-page leave-behind on errors, inaccuracies in Gasland
GasLand Debunked (short version)
