NORWICH – Representatives from five New York counties met last week in an effort to build a skilled workforce for the natural gas industry and to explore regional business opportunities that might take advantage of the abundant energy source.
The event, held in the Chenango County Office Building boardroom, attracted elected officials, educators, economic developers, and landowners from Chenango, Madison, Otsego, Delaware and Broome counties. Also present were representatives from three natural gas industry companies: Norse Energy, Inc. of Norway, GasTem USA of Canada, and Lenape Resources, Inc. of Alexander, NY.
“We made significant progress to bring the needs of the natural gas industry to the attention of government officials, economic developers and educators. All groups represented portrayed a commitment to collaborate as a region and make this a promising boon to the economy, a ‘win win’ for everybody,” said Chenango County Natural Gas Consultant Steven Palmatier, who moderated the summit on behalf of the Chenango County Department of Planning and Development.
The planners present committed to creating an inter-county directory of natural gas-related services and suppliers. The group of educators, led by DCMO BOCES Adult Education Programming Director Pauline Stamp, agreed to create an education matrix for potential workers.
According to the industry representatives, course offerings in demand would be in hydraulics, welding, mechanics, excavating, mapping, cementing, drafting, surveying, title and abstract legal work, environment and conservation, geology, and civil, chemical and petroleum engineering.
Morrisville College is currently in discussion with the Independent Oil and Gas Association to create programs that the industry will need, such as industry specific welding program, according to Palmatier.
“From laborers to technical people will have to come here,” said David Kaiser, a geologist with Lenape said. Lenape, as does Norse and GasTem, already contracts for services from companies that hail from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other southern states where drilling has been more prolific.
“There are not a lot of services capability in the area, but we did find a very good welder locally. We are here today to help expand on that,” said Orville Cole, president of GasTem USA.
GasTem drilled two wells into the Utica Shale in Otsego County last fall. The wells were permitted before the state’s environmental regulations for hydrofraking went under review. The company hopes to “push exploration further into local development,” Cole said.
Steve Keyes, vice president of Norse’s Regulatory Compliance and Operations/Drilling department, said his company had hired many local welders and excavators who have been “more than willing to work.”
Norse currently has 104 drilled in Chenango and Madison counties – mostly into sandstone formations like the Herkimer – with many in production. It plans to drill 30 more this year.
