The Marcellus Shale is looking more and more like a lucrative
piece of the northcentral Pennsylvania pie.

Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest energy company, finalized terms
Monday to buy XTO Energy for $31 billion, according to the
Star-Gazette of Elmira, N.Y. The deal includes XTO’s rights to
47,000 acres of a lucrative section of the shale — a massive
natural gas formation that covers much of New York state,
Pennsylvania and other northeastern states.

Development of the Marcellus Shale is expected to create more
than 98,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $14 billion into the
state’s economy in 2010, according to a recent report by the
Pennsylvania State University.

“We’re starting to come to terms with the enormity of the
Marcellus Shale gas issue,” said Paul Heimel, a Potter County
Commissioner and co-chair of the county’s Natural Gas Task Force,
on Monday. “We’re learning more every day.

“Every time there’s a new development, we come to realize more
that this is an issue that’s going to be with us for decades to
come.”

Exxon is investing upwards of $30 billion largely due to
impressive early returns of the volume and quality of the Shale’s
gas reserves, according to Heimel.

“It’s an endorsement by that company of the large-scale nature
of the Marcellus Shale play,” he said.

With people flocking to the region as work on the Shale
progresses, busy days are returning to the depressed area. For
example, Lumber Township Supervisor Von Hause recently reported a
daily traffic count of more than 1,200 vehicles in the southern end
of Cameron County, according to Cameron County Commissioner JoAnn
Smith.

“Economically, we are seeing the tip of the iceberg already in
Potter County in several ways,” Heimel added.

Glen D. Fiebig, another Cameron County Commissioner, echoed the
sentiments of improving the regional economy.

“We’re hoping that the Shale really helps us out to relieve some
of the pressure from the unemployment and things like that,” he
said.

“Exxon, you know how much push they have. From what we are
understanding now, there might be some jobs and some building
that’s going on there.”

Some of the local benefits seen so far by Heimel: Motel rooms
are being booked months — or years — in advance; local real estate
developers are gearing up in anticipation of an influx of
residents; lease offers being made to property owners are
substantial; and educational institutions are connecting with
post-secondary institutions to prepare the local workforce for
employment in the industry.

Leaders from the local counties are taking a wait-and-see
approach in regards to how much money to expect from the drilling
activities.

“It depends on what they hit, what they don’t hit,” Fiebig said.
“It depends on how many people they intend to employ and how long
it intends to last.”

The financial benefits also depend on what Pennsylvania kicks
back to the county since they recently took over permitting duties
from the counties, according to Fiebig. He expects at least some of
the money to come back to the counties, as promised by state
lawmakers.

“I just hope this thing progresses in the right way — not only
conservation-wise, but employment-wise,” he said.

As of October, Cameron County had the highest unemployment rate
in Pennsylvania. Will the Shale developments bring those numbers
down enough to curb the unemployment crises in Cameron, Potter and
other nearby counties?

“I think gradually, yes,” Heimel said. “Gradually and long-term,
the answer is ‘Yes.’

“But it will not be happening overnight. We have to equip our
workers with the skills for the opportunities. This is just
starting.”

The hot jobs could include welders, rig workers, the hospitality
industry and real estate. The apparent plan of local counties is to
mold their workforce into those positions over time.

A Natural Gas Expo will be held March 17 and 18 at the Gospel
Tabernacle in Coudersport in an effort to get residents of McKean,
Potter and Cameron counties interested in those jobs. The first day
alone will include a half-day for high school students to learn
what training they’ll need for the related careers, and a half-day
session for adults who are unemployed.