From the Barnett Shale Expo 2009:
During 2008, the Barnett Shale’s overall benefits to the area economy expanded over 2007 levels, even though the pace of activity slowed significantly during the last half of the year. The first half of the year saw rapidly rising prices and expanded operations, while a substantial retrenchment occurred in the final months.
The Barnett Shale represents an important source of economic potential for the area, and the number of permanent jobs associated with Barnett Shale activity expanded from 83,823 in 2007 to an average of 111,131 in 2008.
What? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the figure for the ENTIRE sector of oil and gas extraction workers was 166,500 at the end of 2008. Are we to believe that 111,131 of those jobs were here in Barnett Shale?
Excerpts from Julie Wilson, Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) North Texas Commission PPT, 1 June, 2010:
53,200 direct industry jobs in the Fort Worth-Arlington area*
Julie? Julie, Julie, Julie! You have some splainin’ to do!
The BLS says that all employment, production and non-supervisory personnel totaled 93,800 and we are to believe that over half of them are employed right here in Ft. Worth and Arlington? Even if you take all employees seasonally adjusted the BLS number is 165,800 as of the end of May 2010 so 1/3 of ALL OIL and GAS employees in the U.S. are here in Barnett?
BONUS: Also included in Julie’s presentation was this little tidbit:
Barnett Shale has created countless new businesses, with tens of thousands of jobs without tax incentives.
I guess we are supposed to believe that CHK didn’t line up for their share of that $4 billion welfare check.
Now, how to label this. Fraud? Lies, damn lies?
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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Maybe label it: higher socio(-pathic) economics. Or simply Chesapeake being true to their core values and culture.
O&G at work as usual. Lies, lies, lies, etc.
Vaccines…..gas drilling……..landing a man on the moon ….gas drilling.
TV, the internet, and viagra, you guessed it, all thanks to gas drilling. I'm pretty sure it goes to work for me too.
Looks like we've been led up the garden path with regard to "jobs" numbers in Barnett Shale. I always thought they sounded way too high. Not too surprised about Julie though.
Don't be so quick to completely dismiss the numbers. The oil/gas companies may be counting people who show up else were in the BLS figures. I can think of two groups that may be missed. Company employees who are not directly tied to the category in the BLS – it explicitly doesn't include supervisors, what about secretaries, drivers, lawyers, or surveyors (among others)? Many companies today hire independent contractors. They may count the welder, science consultant or landperson who works for himself (herself) but takes jobs from the company. Add these new small business who survive working for others to the lawyers and you have quite a few people not in the BLS report.