PARKERSBURG - Members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley and business leaders are invited to learn more about the economic impact of marcellus shale development on Friday.
"We still have some seating left," said chamber President Jill Parsons.
The lunch informational meeting will take place in the second-floor meeting room of the West Virginia Central Credit Union from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
Dave Drennon and Rayola Doughter from Just Beneath the Surface will discuss the economic impact of the marcellus shale development with a focus on horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, Parsons said.
"Just Beneath the Surface is an organization of gas producers and organizations, and they want to communicate to the business leader community about the marcellus shale industry," Parsons said. "They are working to dispel any rumors or myths and arm people with information."
Parsons added that Karen Facemyer, president of the Polymer Alliance Zone, is also expected to contribute to the discussion.
Parsons continued that while drilling has not been reported in Wood County, several West Virginia and Ohio counties north of the area are seeing the action and the Mid-Ohio Valley is seeing some effects of that work.
"I think there is some residual (economic impact) already starting," Parsons said. "Not in the drilling, really, but in services restaurants, hotels, trailers; the service industries are benefiting from the oil and natural gas industry."
She said the people working on the marcellus shale drilling are new or transient residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley.
"Those people working on these projects should be welcomed here in the best way possible," Parsons added.
For more information or to register for the meeting, contact the chamber at 304-422-3588.
