The American Petroleum Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers have prepared a report titled: “The Economic Impacts of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry on the U.S. Economy: Employment, Labor Income and Value Added”. It is a .pdf document.

Could a shortage of skilled welders or other types of workers hamper the development of oil and gas projects in the United States? These welders must produce flawless welds – sometimes under difficult field conditions. More at the New York Times.

Pennsylvania Senator Gene Yaw whiles speaking at a meeting on natural gas in Williamsport said… “How many times in a lifetime does a state get an opportunity to attract an industry that could potentially create 80,000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenue for its citizens and provide some sense of energy independence for decades to come?” See more comments at zwire.com

Chesapeake Energy has been named to Fortune Magazine’s list of the 100 best companies to work for in the United States. More in an article at Oil Voice.

Thousands of wells will be drilled in Pennsylvania within the next few years to tap the natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. Workers will need skills to fill these jobs. Lacawanna College is launching an oil and gas technology program to produce skilled workers for this industry. More at the Times-Tribune.com.

Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy and other natural gas industry employers in the Barnett Shale seem to be doing everything possible to recruit new employees with appropriate skills. They have internships, fund roustabout training programs, provide summer jobs and more. All of this is described in an article at Star-Telegram.com

Companies trying to drill on expiring leases are working hard to recruit workers to help with drilling and other activities in the Barnett Shale of Texas. College grads with petroleum engineering and geology degrees are needed as are experienced surveyors and welders. More information in the Dallas Business Journal.