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Expert Facts

Below are several facts about the Marcellus Shale and the oil and natural gas industry. Job figures and job projections are provided by the PA Department of Labor and Industry and studies done by Penn State University.

  • Over 72,000 jobs in Pennsylvania have been created by the Marcellus industry since 2009.
  • Marcellus Shale development could generate more than 200,000 jobs and  $1.8 billion in state and local tax revenues in Pennsylvania in 2020.
  • In 2020, the Marcellus region could generate $24 billion in total economic value across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York.
  • America’s oil and natural gas industry supports 9.2 million jobs throughout the economy and 7.5 percent of GDP.
  • In Pennsylvania, 271,250 jobs are supported by the oil and natural gas industry (2009). These jobs add $25.8 billion to the gross state product, or 4.8% of its wealth.  
  • The national average annual salary for oil and gas exploration and production is $96,844 or about $47 per hour – more than double the average annual salary of all occupations.
  • From 2004-2007, the oil and natural gas industry was responsible for creating nearly 2 million additional domestic jobs.
  • The average U.S. citizen uses about 2 barrels of oil every month.
  • America produces 5.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, 164 million barrels, per month, and almost 2 billion barrels per year.
  • The United States produces 72 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas a day, 2,200 bcf per month and 26,000 bcf per year.
  • Northeastern Pennsylvania produces over 2 Bcf of natural gas per day, up from just 400 million barrels per day at the start of 2010.
  • Southwestern Pennsylvania produces over .7 Bcf (700 million cubic feet) of natural gas per day, more than three times the level at the beginning of 2010.
  • The United States is estimated to have enough natural gas to meet 100 percent of current domestic demand for at least 90 years.
  • The top five producing countries in the world are:
         - Oil: Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Iran and China.
         - Gas: United States, Russia, Canada, Algeria and Iran.
  • World petroleum consumption is almost 84 million barrels/day.
  • In 2009, 41 percent of total U.S. energy consumption was used in residential and commercial buildings, 30 percent in industrial activities and 29 percent in transportation.
  • The top five consuming countries in the world are:
         - Oil: United States, China, Japan, India, and Russia.
         - Gas: United States, Russia, Iran, Japan, and the UK.
  • The United States imports oil from all over the world, not just one region. The top five imports come from:
         - Canada (2.1 million barrels per day),
         - Mexico (1.2 million barrels per day),
         - Nigeria (1.1 million barrels per day), 
         - Saudi Arabia (1.0 million barrels per day),
         - Venezuela (1.0 million barrels per day).
  • Over the last five years, earnings for the oil and natural gas industry have been in line with U.S. manufacturing – averaging just 7 cents for every dollar of sales.
  • Since 2000, the oil and natural gas industry has invested $1.7 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives, while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.
  • Between 2000 and 2008, the industry invested more than $58 billion in new low and zero carbon emissions technologies.
  • See API.org for references