Natural Gas Expo at Pitt-Bradford

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Petroleum Technology program will take part in the Natural Gas Expo: Cameron-McKean-Potter taking place on campus Thursday, March 10, and Friday, March 11.

Students from the program, Beth Christman of Bradford and Ron Green of St. Marys, will be located in Booth #19 with information about the program. They and program director, Dr. Assad Panah, professor of geology, will also be available to talk with patrons at the expo.

Panah teaches courses in both the Geology of Marcellus Shale and Hydraulic Fracturing, among others.

“It’s a very strong program. We have a good reputation in Pennsylvania for the quality of the courses we offer in the Petroleum Technology program,” he said. Currently, the program has 32 students.

Other petroleum technology students will attend the expo to speak with vendors and attend seminar presentations.

In addition, Panah will give a talk at 3 p.m. Thursday on “Geology and Work Force Implication of Shale Gas Plays in Pennsylvania” in the Webb/Bradford Forest Rehearsal Hall in Blaisdell Hall.

Panah will talk about the geologic setting of Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian Basin; potential economic and environmental impact; technology involved in exploration, gathering and transportation; and shale gas occupations and training availability.

In addition, he will talk about the role of Pitt-Bradford’s petroleum technology program in providing training to a much-needed current and future workforce.

Dr. Panah was invited speaker at the ShaleNet Workforce Forum – State Workforce Assessment Forum, which was organized by the Penn State Extension program and held in Altoona. There, the title of his presentation was “Work Force Implication of Existing and Projected Marcellus Shale Gas Exploration and Production in Pennsylvania and Beyond.”

The Natural Gas Expo is designed to provide opportunities for business owners, energy companies and support-service providers to connect and learn about business opportunities that may arise because of the discovery of gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale.

The expo was created by the Potter County Natural Gas Task Force. Planning committee members include Ann Robinson, director of Pitt-Bradford’s Business Resource Center.

The Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday in the Sport and Fitness Center and Blaisdell Hall. Admission is free.

For more information, visit www.natural-gas-expo.com.

Pictured, John Engwer of Boston, Mass., helps Mike Kallenborn of Port Allegany set up a booth for Kallenborn’s business, Pine Valley Landscaping, which offers Engwer’s product, Filter Mitt erosion control.
Photo courtesy of Pitt-Bradford