The debate over hydraulic fracturing continues in many quarters where resistance to change runs strong.  Some have jumped on the bandwagon of the misinformed but, increasingly, many others are seeking real education on shale gas development.  We aim to satisfy that demand and recently took a close look at one contractor working with the natural gas industry, GasSearch Drilling Services (GDS).  GDS is a subsidiary of Cabot Oil & Gas that provides dirt construction, water hauling, trucking and roustabout services.  Absent GDS, and other companies like it throughout the industry, we wouldn’t have the man power or infrastructure to develop shale gas.

GDS is based in Montrose, Pennsylvania and has hired over 100 local workers since opening its doors in 2006.  Most recently GDS had the opportunity to renovate their facilities with $1.7 million in private funding.  Many of these renovations were used to create more space to service heavy machinery and vehicles.  They also created the opportunity to take their facilities in a “greener” direction by installing a water recycling center designed to cut down on fresh water use and large sky lights designed to cut down on the amount of power needed for light.

Inside GasSearch Drilling Services

This facility is just one of several entities that make shale gas development possible.  During a recent visit to the facility I had the opportunity to speak with one of the employees at GDS and he provided insight about his time working for the company.

I work for GasSearch Drilling Services and we are owned by Cabot Oil & Gas. Everyday is something new on the job, we usually participate in site preparation for Cabot.  In terms of site preparation we do anything from build the well pads to the water hauling needed for completion of the well.   After the development rigs and taken down we will go back in and do site cleanup to ensure everything was done correctly and is ready for the completion part of development.

We currently employ roughly 100 people here.  Many of them are local, I am a local guy. I didn’t always work in the oil and gas industry. Before this I worked at a car dealership and a few different stone quarries.

I grew up in Clarks Summit and have a lot of family in Michigan.  After high school I attended a college in Luzerne County where I studied electronics engineering technology.  After I graduating from college there were no jobs in the area of electronics engineering.  Basically, I was like every other person just graduating from college and jobless.

I was introduced to the Oil and Gas Industry through one of my friends who worked for a local operator and I was

There’s always work to do at GDS

intrigued at the opportunity to work in this industry.  I currently plan on staying in the industry and working for as long as I can.

After we perform site reclamation, it’s almost as if there was never any development there.  Its actually really impressive, at most of the sites after completion there is only a small gas well.

I don’t have much family here so they don’t work in the industry however I do have many friends that work for the  gas industry. They don’t work for Gas Search but they do work for other services within the industry,

When I was living in Clarks Summit I very rarely came up to Montrose or Dimock. This area is a lot busier then I have ever seen it and its because of the development. The amount of new businesses coming in is just incredible.  If it wasn’t for the gas industry there would be many unemployed people. There are businesses popping up that aren’t related to the industry but are able to thrive because of the influx of people to the area.  – William Boot, GasSearch Drilling Services.

There is always speculation about how many local people the natural gas industry employs but hearing it from the horse’s mouth blows away the speculative nonsense we hear so often from natural gas opponents.  The natural gas industry has employed many local residents and will continue to do so for as long as they operate in the area.

GasSearch Drilling

For more information on GasSearch Drilling Services visit their site here.  And, be sure to keep checking back in with us as we continue to educate about and profile the services and people responsible for making shale gas development possible.