November 1^st and 2^nd, the Ohio Oil & Gas Association will be holding a Transportation and Safety Seminar at the McKinley Grand Hotel in Canton, Ohio.  The seminar comes at crucial time.  While Ohio has a long history of oil and natural gas development, things are now ramping up.  The growing activity in the Utica Shale is creating opportunities for local companies to grow and hire.  This is especially true for the trucking industry.

According to a study of Pennsylvania’s shale development by Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center, one out of 10 jobs directly created by shale development is filled by a licensed truck driver. The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program’s (OOGEEP) 2011 Economic Impact Study reports over 200,000 jobs could be created in Ohio from Utica Shale development.  The two studies show there will be a high demand for truck drivers in Ohio’s oil and gas industry.

The trucking industry provides the following services in the oilpatch:

• Moving heavy equipment
• Drilling rigs
• Service rigs
• Support equipment
• Supplies
• Crude Oil Gathering

The follow truck types are used:

• Straight
• Tankers
• Tractor trailers, Lowboy
• Vacuum Trucks
• Dump Trucks

Since truck drivers fulfill so many of the industry’s needs, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association’s Safety Committee will host the Transportation and Safety Seminar to ensure those working in the oilpatch are safe and understand Ohio laws and regulations.

Some highlights of the seminar include:

• Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Transportation and PUCO panel will provide an overview of Ohio regulation
• ODNR will speak on Class II Underground Injection Well registration requirements and safety issues
• Road Usage Maintenance Agreements, the agreement between operator and county engineers for well site traffic patterns, will be discussed
• Safety culture and training requirements to work in the industry will be covered
• Procurement procedures, insurance requirements and BWC laws will be discussed
• Truck Shield certification will be covered
• There will be a CNG Vehicle panel discussing vehicle development, conversion kits, and the future of refueling stations

The seminar will be a valuable tool for those involved in Ohio’s oil and gas industry and those looking to break into the business! Event details can be found at www.ooga.org.