Career Talk Profile: Jobs In Marcellus Shale

By Scott Albert of the Albert Institute

According to Toby Mack, President and CEO of the Energy Equipment Infrastructure Alliance (EEIA), the shale boom has created over 450,000 jobs. Mack credits the boom with job growth in construction, equipment, supplies and services to the drilling industry. The make-up and distribution of these job opportunities is critical for job seekers to understand. The shale industry can basically be outlined in three levels: Energy Producers, Service Companies and Ancillary Businesses. Career opportunities exist within each of the three categories. Here is a breakdown of each and a few examples of companies that are producing new jobs as a result of the shale boom.

Energy Producers
Energy Producers are typically seen as the leaders in the industry. These would include companies like Range Resources and Consol Energy. Companies like these take the lead and ownership of the leasing, exploration and drilling processes involved with Marcellus Shale development. Range Resources currently has 18 local job vacancies posted on its website; these include everything from a Clerk in the Purchasing Department to a Staff Engineer in Midstream Operations. Consol Energy has 26 job vacancies in or around the region, but many of these include coal mine positions in PA and WV. The point is that while companies like Range and Consol lead production of the resource, they don't always lead production of jobs in the industry.

Service Companies
Understanding the service companies is both important and complicated. Mnay reports and industry experts suggest that most of the jobs created as a result of the shale boom are with contractors and service companies. Services include everything from environmental to water treatment to construction. Pittsburgh area companies that have experienced job growth include businesses such as Civil Environmental Consultants, Somerset Regional Water Resources and Weavertown Environmental. Each provides a different service, but a look into each does provide some insight into the type of jobs available within the industry.

Civil & Environmental Consultants of Robinson (CEC) is a firm that helps companies navigate permitting processes, conducts ecological studies and examines challenges related to water and waste disposal. The company credits one third of its last year's revenue to the shale boom. Over a five year period, the number of CEC employees has grown from 425 to more than 650. CEC currently has over 100 job vacancies posted on its website, most of which are available in the Pittsburgh region. These range from Administrative Assistant to Engineering to Environmental Technician positions.

Somerset Regional Water Resources began as a result of the Marcellus Shale play in Pennsylvania, but has since grown to include locations in Ohio and North Dakota. They provide services 24/7 that include water and well site support such as the delivery, removal and cleaning of water. They are on a daily search for candidates who hold a CDL license and those interested in labor positions.

Carnegie-based Weavertown Environmental Group has seen its business expand from PA into Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky in large part to the Marcellus Shale development. The company provides environmental services such as 24/7 Emergency Response, Transportation & Disposal of Water, Bulk, and Waste, and Treatment of Non-hazardous Materials, Frac Water and Water Filtration. The company has dozens of job vacancies posted on a daily basis. These include openings for Environmental Technicians, Laborers, CDL Drivers, Welders, HR Recruiters and a Clerical Position.

Ancillary Businesses
Businesses such as Schools, Banks, Law Offices and Accounting Firms have also experienced job growth as a result of the shale boom. In fact, some of these ancillary businesses have created divisions within themselves just to service the Oil & Gas Industry. For example, Ernst & Young (EY), one of the world's largest professional services firms, has a division designed to serve the challenges facing the Oil & Gas Industry. They help companies in this industry navigate changing regulations and manage financial risks. Their site currently boasts over 200 job openings when searching the Pittsburgh-area. Similar businesses, which do not directly service drilling or extraction, has 100's of job vacancies. These would include schools and firms such as CCAC, Penn State University, Deloitte LP, and PNC Bank.

There are many online resources available for job seekers to learn about job openings, application processes and requirements for careers in this industry. The Marcellus Shale Coalition has created a Jobs Portal at www.marcelluscoalition.org. And, The Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association (PIOGA) has set up a Career Center at its website, which is www.pioga.org.

For more information or to follow Marcellus Shale job vacancies and news, follow Career Talk on Facebook or on Twitter @KDKA_Careertalk.