Natural Gas Employers Experience Cutback

LAMAR TOWNSHIP — When natural gas employers descended on Clinton County a few years back, they warned there would be ups and downs in the local employment level.

A “down” cycle has recently hit two of the major Marcellus Shale players, both located in Lamar Township, the result the loss of some 185 jobs.

Mike Flanagan, head of the Clinton County Economic Partnership, confirmed reports of the local cutbacks. He said Baker Hughes let some 35 people go last week and transferred another 90 to Clarksburg, W.Va. for the time being as more gas field work is occurring in that region.

Hopefully, Flanagan said, most of the 90 will return to Lamar Township if and when activity picks up.

Additionally, Flanagan said, the nearby Trican operation is down to about 250 employees, recently letting 60 people go.

He cited several reasons for the cutbacks: an oversupply of natural gas, the low cost of gas and need for midstream (infrastructure) development. “In some ways,” Flanagan said, “the industry is a victim of its own success.”