Karnes County Earthquake Sets Record in Eagle Ford Area

A 4.8 magnitude Karnes County earthquake rattled doors Thursday morning. (Atascosa County is now reported as the epicenter) You can view USGS data Here. It isn't the first earthquake in the area, but was larger than previous quakes. It was just 2008, which is before Eagle Ford Shale development began, when a 3.7 magnitude quake struck the area and 1993 when the largest I can remember hit the area (4.3 mag). Yesterday's disturbance is likely the largest on record for the area, but one of a dozen or so since 1990. Tremors were felt as far as San Antonio. Oil & gas drilling activity has not been linked to this event. If drilling directly led to earthquakes, West Texas would have fallen off the map a long time ago. It just so happens that oil & gas are present in areas of high tectonic activity. The Los Angeles basin is one of the most active areas in the world and also boast the most hydrocarbons per cubic ft of rock in the world.

There have been concerns that deep disposal wells where fluids are being injected into the ground could be tied to small earthquakes. It won't be clear for a long time if that might be the case here. Test are ongoing in more established shale plays in North Texas' Barnett Shale and in Arkansas' Fayetteville Shale.

No injuries or major damage was reported, and the light quake wasn't even noticed by some residents living close to the epicenter, near Karnes City. Yet small vibrations felt in San Antonio did cause occupants to briefly evacuate a downtown federal building as a precaution.

The quake struck at 7:24 a.m. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was the largest earthquake on record for the area, surpassing a magnitude-4.3 shock recorded in 1993.

Thursday's earthquake occurred in a zone that has shaken in the past. From 1990 to 2006, at least a dozen small quakes rattled this region.

"It's an area where we've seen events before," said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough in Pasadena, Calif. "So it's not a big surprise."

Read a full news release at nydailynews.com

Here's an interview with a geologist at ksat.com and an article from caller.com that details the total number of earthquakes expected worldwide this year.

Bee County Job Fair Draws Record Crowd

We're experiencing an oil boom in South Texas, but there are still lots of people job hunting. The great thing about the oilfield is it creates lots of jobs and opportunities. There were an estimated 1,000 jobs on display yesterday at the Beeville, TX, job fair and visitors trumped expectations when as many as 2,000 people visited potential employers. Visit the Eagle Ford Jobs Page to search open positions in the South Texas oilfield. 

Skilled or unskilled, from across Texas and out of state, at least twice as many people as the 1,000 jobs 24 employers sought to fill converged on the Bee County Exposition Center on Tuesday.

Two hours in, the company was running low on informational cards for attendees to fill out, putting attendance well above the 1,000 mark. Robbins estimated attendance approached about 2,000 people, all seeking good pay ranges and relatively close-to-home work, which included jobs out in the fields, on the roads and in offices.

1,000 Oilfield Job Openings At Beeville Career Fair Oct. 4

Job hunters in South Texas should head out to Beeville's Bee County Exposition Center for a job fair today. 25 employers will be on hand to fill Eagle Ford Shale related jobs. Those companies have more than 900 oilfield job openings across the area.

Job seekers take note, a major career fair is set to take place Tuesday in Beeville. Two dozen oil and gas companies are looking to fill close to 1,000 positions.

Despite a bad economy and high levels of unemployment, there are plenty of jobs available in South Texas. The job opportunities available at this fair range from entry level to management to CDL drivers.

All of these employment opportunities are the result of the Eagle Ford Shale. Drilling and Fracking for oil and natural gas in South Texas has proven to be extremely profitable over the past couple of years. Experts say the Eagle Ford Shale is one of, if not the biggest discoveries of oil and natural gas ever to be made in North American history. That has oil and gas industry companies looking to hire.

Read the entire news release at kiiitv.com

Eagle Ford Task Force Outlines Goals

The Eagle Ford Task Force (EFTF), appointed by Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter, convened yesterday at Coastal Bend College in Beeville to outline its goals and engage in a productive discussion regarding work force issues related to the development of the Eagle Ford Shale. The 24-member task force established that its main purpose is to serve as a forum for dialogue, so that task force members can bring issues and concerns from their constituents to the table and work toward solutions. The group also agreed to meet monthly and to provide recommendations on the top issues facing the region.

The EFTF also approved an agenda for the rest of the calendar year, prioritizing the region’s most pressing issues. Over the next four months, the task force will discuss the following:

• Water usage as it relates to hydraulic fracturing
• The impact of oil and gas production on community infrastructure
• The need for public education regarding oil and gas production
• Promoting economic development stemming from oil and gas production

“I am pleased to see the task force selecting topics for discussion that are crucial to the success of the development of the Eagle Ford Shale,” said Commissioner Porter. “If we handle this opportunity responsibly, we could be looking at the largest oil field ever discovered in Texas. It is imperative that we get this right, and our task force is on a clear-cut path to do so.”

The EFTF also discussed work force issues currently plaguing the region. Several industry representatives spoke about the need to fill hundreds of jobs this year and the obstacles they are facing in finding qualified applicants. Industry representatives estimated there are approximately 120 jobs connected to each drilling rig. Currently, there are approximately 200 rigs operating in the region. However, employers are often battling failed drug tests and background tests or the lack of commercial drivers licenses (CDL) when trying to fill these jobs.

Representatives from Marathon Oil and Pioneer Resources spoke about successful recruiting tactics specific to the Eagle Ford region, such as recruiting from the military and hosting job fairs versus posting jobs online.

Manual Ugues, Business Services Director, Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend, discussed the many programs his organization is implementing to connect employers with skilled workers in the region. He urged employers to reach out to Workforce Solutions with their needs. To learn more about these programs, please visit: www.workintexas.com.

Glynis Straus, Dean of Institutional Advancement at Coastal Bend College spoke about the consortium of oil and gas classes the college is presently offering. Coastal Bend College has partnered with several organizations to provide world-class field training to students who can currently take courses such as: drilling industry introduction (elementary drilling), corrosion basics, petroleum safety and environmental hazards (H2S Training), technology/technician/management (supervisory skills), focused oil spill response training and CDL/driving safety courses.

“When unemployment in this country is over nine percent, it is great to see South Texas providing an abundance of good-paying, steady jobs. But we need to work to get those jobs filled, and that was the point of the task force discussion,” said Commissioner Porter. “I feel as though we provided some real solutions at the meeting, and I look forward to seeing those efforts implemented.”

David J. Porter was elected to the Texas Railroad Commission on November 2, 2010. A Certified Public Accountant and successful small business owner, Commissioner Porter has worked with oil and gas producers for nearly three decades providing strategic financial advice and tax counsel. He has a long record of pro-business, free market, conservative credentials. Visit www.rrc.state.tx.us for additional RRC information.