BUTLER TWP — Petroleum engineers to water haulers, truckers to laundry services. These are all jobs that are in demand and growing because of the development of Marcellus Shale natural gas resources across the state and in Butler County.

Richard Fontanesi, an agent for EQT Sourcing, an exploration and production company in Pittsburgh, said Wednesday that there are many opportunities for businesses and services to get work and jobs in Marcellus Shale.

“There aren't enough petroleum engineers, welders. Water and sand haulers, truckers, subcontractors are just a few of the jobs that are needed around a drilling site,” Fontanesi said.

Ancillary services for the gas industry also are growing, such as real estate, hotels and laundries. These are services that are needed to take care of a workforce that moves into an area for a few months and also for those who will remain once a well is operating, he said.

Fontanesi discussed job and business opportunities in the natural gas industry at the final session of a Marcellus Shale gas seminar that attracted more than 100 business owners Wednesday morning to Butler County Community College's Founders Hall.

Spread over three days, the seminar held sessions for property owners, municipal leaders and those wanting to do business in the Marcellus Shale industry.

Jim Ladlee, with the Penn State University Extension Agency's Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center, discussed job growth in that industry.

He said the number of wells per county include the highest of 818 in Bradford County, 557 in Tioga County, 289 in Washington County and 51 in Butler County.

In 2007, 19 Marcellus Shale natural gas wells were drilled in the state.

In 2010 there were 1,390 Marcellus wells drilled as compared to 1,342 regular oil and gas wells, marking the first time Marcellus Shale wells exceed traditional wells.

One way to measure the amount of Marcellus Shale well activity is to count the number of drilling rigs in the state and county.

“In 2007, there were 16 rigs in the state, and as of today (Wednesday) there are 99 rigs, with 20 in West Virginia, eight in Ohio and none in Maryland or New York,” Ladlee said, adding that there are 26 rigs in Bradford County, but only one in Butler County.

He said looking at historic trends in shale gas deposit drilling in Wyoming, Arkansas and Texas, as Marcellus Shale development continues Pennsylvania can expect increases in population and building permits. Also public school enrollment will increase, the labor force will increase as will the demand for jobs, and there will be an increase in household incomes, property values, rental rates, traffic and emergency service requests.

“Some of this is good and some of it is bad, but it does mean that jobs are coming into the area,” Ladlee said.

The pre-drilling site preparation and actually drilling of Marcellus Shale gas wells are the two phases when the most workers are needed, he said, with up to 420 workers in 150 different occupations.

“If all continues as it has been developing, the state can expect between 8,000 and 12,000 new jobs with the majority of those workers being Pennsylvania residents,” Ladlee said.

“There is a potential for more than 4,800 well sites to be drilled over the next 16 to 27 years.

“The key to understanding this industry is to not miss Marcellus Shale events,” Ladlee said. “Take your business cards, hand them out at events, get to know people and send e-mails.”