Fracking the Burgh: How will it influence population growth? (Pittsburgh: for sale, 2013)

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by RyanR

Really? I think NE PA may think differently.

Looking at your map, most of the green and red dots in the Pittsburgh region are to the south and west of town.

Sure there is a lot of gas up in the northeastern part of the state, too. But the folks working those wells aren't going to be living in Pittsburgh regardless.

[Geeo]

I don't see it being an issue. There is fracking going on all over the country, and it certainly hasn't hurt Texas' population growth.

[trackstar13]

The map found at this link is more up to date: Pennsylvania fracking map | NPR StateImpact

Washington, Westmoreland, Butler, and Fayette counties in western PA are among the top in the state for most wells, but they don't have as many as Bradford or Tioga counties yet. Allegheny county currently has 32 wells in operation by 3 different operators. The city of Pittsburgh currently has a fracking ban, but many are pushing for it to be lifted. Also, it is very feasible for natural gas workers to live in the city of Pittsburgh or Allegheny county. This is especially true because they are not all drilling technicians and there are many white collar jobs in this industry. A quick Google search reveals that many of the natural gas drilling and exploration company offices are within the Pittsburgh metro. Here are a few examples:

1) Cabot Oil and Gas is in Robinson Township and they also have another office in Cranberry
2) Penn Resources is near the airport in Moon

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by Geeo

I don't see it being an issue. There is fracking going on all over the country, and it certainly hasn't hurt Texas' population growth.

I am wondering if there is or will be a difference when you look at fracking in "red states" like North Dakota and Texas vs. "blue states" like PA.

[greg42]

I was really scratching my head yesterday with the opening of the Chile consulate. Governor Marcellus, er, Corbett was going on about Chile possibly buying gas from PA. But they opened the consulate in...Philly. Thought that was odd, almost like the Chileans didn't have a good grasp of PA geography , but perhaps they have other non-gas reasons for it to be in Philly.

There are many other operators with their main Marcellus-area offices around here, including Shell (Warrendale area) and Range (Canonsburg area). I don't know about Chesapeake, even though they are the largest well operator. I think Chesapeake is heavily into that NE area, not sure. Chevron was just optioning land in I think it's Moon there or maybe Robinson, and I think they have an existing office somewhere out there.

More of the PA wells are in the NE so far, but it seems the Pittsburgh area provides a central base for their operations in the Appalachian region. Plenty of stuff is going on in WV and OH as well.

[eschaton]

My understanding is Marcellus employment has already peaked to some degree in NEPA, with the focus having shifted to this region. Given drilling up there only began a few years back, I think the employment trajectory here will be more short lived than either the proponents or detractors say. By 2020 gas employment might be almost as low as before the boom.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by eschaton

My understanding is Marcellus employment has already peaked to some degree in NEPA, with the focus having shifted to this region. Given drilling up there only began a few years back, I think the employment trajectory here will be more short lived than either the proponents or detractors say. By 2020 gas employment might be almost as low as before the boom.

That sounds about right to me. The boom is in the drilling part and in any pipeline construction, which is temporary. There certainly is maintenance but it won't amount to anything like the employment level at the peak of drilling.

Although there would likely be a notable gain with the ethane cracker, assuming they build that thing. Not in the employment of the cracker plant itself but in the businesses that would use its resulting products.

[Geeo]

Pittsburgh is becoming a regional center for corporate operations for the energy companies. Chevron has an option for quite a large tract of land in Moon for a corporate campus, but I don't know what their employment projections might be. As far as drilling within the city limits, I think that was always a non-starter, since you need many acres to build a drilling operation and that isn't available in the city or inner suburbs. I guess the city council just felt better and got the anti-fracking folks off their backs by passing an ordinance.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Pittsburgh is becoming a regional center for corporate operations for the energy companies. Chevron has an option for quite a large tract of land in Moon for a corporate campus, but I don't know what their employment projections might be. As far as drilling within the city limits, I think that was always a non-starter, since you need many acres to build a drilling operation and that isn't available in the city or inner suburbs. I guess the city council just felt better and got the anti-fracking folks off their backs by passing an ordinance.

Drilling within the city of Pittsburgh limits is entirely possible if it is allowed and Los Angeles currently has wells within city limits. There are even companies that focus on urban, more compact drilling.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

Drilling within the city of Pittsburgh limits is entirely possible if it is allowed and Los Angeles currently has wells within city limits. There are even companies that focus on urban, more compact drilling.

Not really comparable; youre referring to oil wells in LA (or to a lesser extent shallow gas wells); they take up much less of a footprint & are really not even noticeable which is not the case with fracking operations.