Features

No matter what you may hear tonight, tomorrow or the next day, the story is going to change.

That’s the state of our industry today and if our industry, government lawmakers and regulators handle development properly, this really can recharge our economic engine for years to come.

Between expanding markets and a wave of retirements, the energy industry faces the possibility of a worldwide shortage of labor. In the upstream oil and gas press, it has been called the “Great Crew Change.” Due to age demographics in the industry, many experienced workers will be eligible to retire in the next few years, potentially creating a drastic loss of experience and expertise that also coincides with a low number of younger individuals entering the industry.

The transformation potential of shale oil and gas to the American energy, manufacturing, chemical, and pipeline industries is nothing short of revolutionary. As part of this revolution, the U.S. can form a competitive advantage versus other global economies lasting for the next generation… if government leaders and entrepreneurs demonstrate the courage necessary to tread this path.

In this second of a two-part series, Senior Research Leader Brian N. Leis, Ph.D., who directs Battelle Pipeline Technology Center in Columbus, OH, discusses several projects the Center has become involved with following the recent spate of widely publicized pipeline incidents. He also talks about the Center’s work with other research entities, the effects of the shale revolution, and the future of research in including funding issues.