Approximately 20 miles north of our office in Dimock is the border of New York. For many, this boundary signifies the two, very different realities of Marcellus shale gas development: one state actively enjoying new jobs, infrastructure, and overall progress, while the other has stagnated. It’s a sad situation for a state that should have been at the forefront of Marcellus Shale development given its extensive history in oil and gas – over 40,000 known wells in the state currently.
The one organization that can attest to safe and responsible development is the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGA-NY). Representing 335 member companies, each involved with some phase of oil & gas extraction in New York, this organization has fought for fair regulation and just taxation since 1980.  Unfortunately now IOGA-NY is reduced to a shell of itself, fighting for the right to drill, thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in royalties at stake for upstate New York.
Every year IOGA-NY holds a meeting to update its members on all things oil and gas. In the past this meeting has drawn a few hundred interested participants, this year maybe 80 were in attendance; certainly a sign of the times.
This year’s discussion included a very interesting overview on Universal Well Services, Inc, use of dual fuel technologies in completion operations. This technology, similar to what FTSI used on one of our locations earlier in the year, allows Universal Well Services to run both field gas or LNG during completion operations for significant cost savings and measurable environmental benefits. Karl Kimmich (Lion Energy Co.) and John Holko (Leanape Resources, Inc.) presented “A Road Map for Permitting Water Disposal Wells in Pa.,” which outlined the conversion of depleted gas wells in North West Pennsylvania into underground injection wells. A legislative update for New York was also presented by Tom West (The West Firm).
Cabot was invited to present, so I took the opportunity to discuss our new and innovative ways using natural gas in the field. Below is a review of my presentation “The Savings & Benefits of CNG Use in the Field and Expanded Natural Gas in the Community”:
Here is a great video of Mike Failce, the owner of the 1955 Chevy, discussing why he chose to convert to CNG.
Natural gas and CNG are great but there is a serious issue that we are concerned about today, tomorrow’s workforce. Many experts feel that within a decade there will be a shortage of skilled natural gas and CNG technicians in the country. That is why Cabot has partnered with three great institutions to make sure this doesn’t happen. Lackawanna (Natural Gas Education and Compression Technologies) and Johnson colleges (Diesel and CNG technicians) are leading the region in offering education for the oil and gas industries. Cabot has partnered with both through equipment donations and information exchanges to make sure their graduates are meeting our standards right away. Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center (SCCTC) has been a partner with Cabot for years now. Cabot maintains a scholarship fund to ensure any student interested in any of its offerings, whether welding or culinary, can afford to attend. Eight different regional high schools send students to the facility. SCCTC is working towards being a bridge to Lackawanna and Johnson College, a very exciting opportunity for students looking for quality jobs in the oil and gas industry.

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Bill serves as an External Affairs Coordinator for Coterra Energy. He is focused on building community knowledge and support for the organization and industry at large.

Before his time with Coterra Energy, Bill was the original Field Director for Energy in Depth’s Northeast Marcellus campaign. Within this two-year position, Bill worked to engage, educate, and mobilize supporters of Marcellus Shale development across New York and Pennsylvania. Bill received his B.S. in Management, a B.A. in History, and an MBA from Misericordia University.