Thanks to something called hydraulic fracturing - or fracking for short - it's getting easier to reach and produce oil and natural gas from shale deposits.
A high percentage of America's natural gas is now coming from fracking operations. Natural gas is one of the cleanest, safest, and most important of the world's energy sources. It is different from the gasoline that fuels our automobiles, which is a petroleum-based fuel. Natural gas is colorless, shapeless, and odorless in its pure form, but also naturally combustible, in great supply in the United States, and when it is burned, natural gas burns clean. It produces a great amount of energy while at the same time emitting few harmful byproducts into the air.
Many experts consider natural gas the energy of the future, and one that will not only greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but also represents a cleaner and healthier choice for our environment.
And all this interest in natural gas is translating into greater exploration, productivity, and the creation of thousands of new jobs.
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Natural gas is an energy source for private homes, commercial businesses, and industries. It is found in geological formations, or 'plays' hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the earth. In the last several years, energy companies have developed new technology that has made the drilling necessary to harvest natural gas faster, easier, and more cost-effective. Where's all the work occurring?
Where are the Gas Fracking Jobs?
Shale Oil & Gas Plays in the USA
Some big-time oil and gas shale plays include:
All of these plays are discussed in further detail in other sections of OilJobFinder.com - check out all the specifics regarding jobs, employer profiles, current activity, and the potential each may have for you and your career in the oil and natural gas industry!
According to Natural Gas Supply Association website, the natural gas industry employs several million Americans, 622,000 people directly and another 2.2 million through jobs related to the natural gas industry. Worldwide the number is obviously much, much bigger!
Natural gas exploration and production workers in the United States earn wages that are sometimes double the national average, and help employ other individuals in a variety of industries, including automobile manufacturing, housing, construction, engineering, research, manufacturing, retail sales, and many more.
If you want to learn more about natural gas careers, from fracking to refining and oil and gas transportation jobs, a membership to OilJobFinder is for you. Our membership section gives you access to information about salaries, education requirements, how to find a job in natural gas, and more!