A natural gas-processing facility is being constructed in Columbiana County, OH. It’s one of seven plants being built in OH with a total construction cost of $7.2B USD.

“You can bring (gas and oil) out of the ground, but it doesn’t do you any good until you can move it and get it processed and get it where it’s needed,” Terry Fleming, executive director of the Ohio Petroleum Council, said. “Midstream is the key. It is critical. … It’s an infrastructure issue. You can only pull as much out of the ground as you can transport and process.

“What’s happening in Ohio is big — and it’s going to get bigger.”

An estimated $5B USD in pipeline projects also looks to be happening in OH in the next few years. Specifics on the many projects are delineated in this Akron Beacon Journal article. If you are looking for work in construction, here’s a list of opportunities.

If you live in PA, understand that the current boom in OH will likely be mirrored here in a few years. Whether shale gas opportunities interest you or not, remember to take this end of the year time to think deeply about where you are and where you want to be.

As I’ve noted a few times before, if you’re looking for work in construction, think deeply about the Marcellus Shale options. This Gold Rush of our times is spread throughout America and the world. The locations that that have Shale gas are booming.

An excellent article in ENR describes the changing game of the shale gas extraction. A few years ago, fracking was developed with great enthusiasm and little regard for the environmental consequences. There simply were no regulations, technical decisions tended to be left to the conscience of the operator. History teaches that the Wild West model doesn’t work too well.

With the EPA producing a report by the end of 2012 that documents the impact of fracking on adjacent water supplies, more regulations will follow. Fortunately, the technological race for improved methods will likely go faster and farther than the bureaucrats.

The huge amount of water currently used in the fracking process is both a large cost and an environmental challenge. Water treatment and recycling plants are being built and tested. Abandoned mine drain waters are being proposed for the fracking. Even waterless fracking systems, 95% inert nitrogen and 5% water which becomes like foam in use, are being developed and tested.

Shale gas will be an important part of the future world economy. If you’re looking for someplace to jump back in, consider the locations shown in the map above.