36 FEBRUARY 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Pennsylvania Considers New Export Terminal for LNG Adapted from Information by Marcellus Coalition and the Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force A proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is expected to provide up to 7000 jobs annually, according to a recent report commissioned by the state’s Philadelphia LNG Taskforce. The natural gas industry has been an important piece of Pennsylvania's economy for over a century. From the discovery of natural gas in the 19th century, to becoming the second largest natural gas producer in the United States, Pennsylvania’s economy enjoys a legacy of energy production as a key driver of economic growth. Pennsylvania's introduction to natural gas began in 1878, when the Haymaker brothers unearthed a natural gas field near Pittsburgh, marking the beginning of a new era for the state's energy sector. Through technological innovation, the industry slowly but steadily advanced and increased its natural gas production. It wasn’t until the discovery of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Formations, along with the adoption of hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling technology, that Pennsylvania became a major player in the U.S. natural gas market. As one of America’s largest natural gas producers, Pennsylvania has a unique opportunity to share its natural gas with the world by expanding its LNG export capabilities. “The potential benefits are immense. From job creation to tax revenue, to advancing our energy security and reducing our carbon emissions,” said Representative Martina White, chair of the Philadelphia LNG Taskforce. Given the Appalachian Basin is America’s largest natural gas producing region, it is imperative to not only utilize this resource in America, but to also invest in new opportunities to share this affordable and reliable fuel with allies across the globe. Building an LNG export terminal in southeastern Pennsylvania, with access to the Delaware River, will enhance the utilization of U.S. natural gas in foreign markets, increasing access to a clean, reliable energy source. With U.S. natural gas widely recognized as the cleanest in the world, exporting more of this product will trigger tremendous emission reductions across the globe. “Boosting American LNG exports - of which a Philadelphia port makes entirely possible - has the potential to reduce these harmful emissions at a rate equivalent to electrifying every car in the country, installing solar on every home, and doubling our wind capacity, combined,” Senator Gene Yaw, Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Energy & Environmental Resources Committee recently noted. Expanding the world’s access to abundant and clean Pennsylvania natural gas is “good for the economy, good for the environment, and it’s good for our national security,” Marcellus Shale Coalition President Dave Callahan testified during a Taskforce hearing. By investing in and building an LNG export terminal in Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth would be creating a unique opportunity to see both regional and statewide economic growth and further the state’s role as a leader in energy production. American LNG supplied more than half of Europe’s natural gas needs in 2022. G&O
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