It is no secret that Ohio is in the midst of an energy renaissance, with recently-discovered domestic natural gas reserves containing the ability to power businesses and homes throughout the region. However, the state currently lacks the midstream infrastructure required by gas producers to transport their product to market. Shawn Bennett, executive vice president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, shed light on this market dynamic in an op-ed published by the Canton Repository:
According to U.S. Energy Information Administration data, the United States was the world’s largest producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons. And this should be good news. Our nation has made great strides to ensure its energy independence, freeing consumers from foreign energy and the price volatility inherent in the international energy markets.
And yet, consumers in Ohio and across the region have yet to feel the direct benefits of this production. Oil and gas producers, in turn, find themselves at a loss for what to do with their plentiful reserves of resources. This halting progress is due in large part to a lack of midstream infrastructure — the pipelines that carry natural gas from production sites like the Marcellus and Utica shale to end markets.
Mr. Bennett goes on to underscore how projects like the Rover Pipeline will facilitate the ability to carry natural gas to end markets, benefiting both producers as well as consumers:
Ultimately, the end consumer will be the direct beneficiary of midstream natural gas pipelines. Once constructed, these undertakings will provide a reliable supply of affordable, clean-burning natural gas to manufacturers, businesses, and domestic consumers in Ohio.
Given the current market dynamics, as well as the many concrete benefits listed above, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association supports the responsible construction of midstream infrastructure through projects such as the Rover Pipeline. OOGA encourages federal regulators to undertake a timely review of these pipelines in order to both alleviate the current supply quandary and provide access to natural gas for all Ohio consumers.
The Ohio Oil and Gas Association represents more than 3,100 members involved in all aspects of the exploration, production and development of energy resources within the State of Ohio. As such, the organization plays an important role in illustrating the state of the industry in Ohio. CEPI is encouraged to see the OOGA draw attention to the Rover Pipeline and the need for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve the project in a timely manner.