The oil and gas shale boom of late has improved the U.S jobs market dramatically. This comes in the form of oilfield services such as the manufacturing of drilling equipment, pumps and pipes. Since September last year there has been a 10.3 % growth in the mining, oil and gas field machinery sector with gas shale jobs rising steadily, despite the otherwise dismal employment rate. Economist, Brian Davidson, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, said, “The rate of job growth is noteworthy,” comparing it to the total non-farm employment which rose only 1.2 % by the third quarter of 2011.

Oil and gas production giants, Halliburton, reported huge earnings for their third quarter and have announced that they will be hiring about 11,000 oil employees in the U.S. this year. They have invested $18 million into the North American sectors of their business to aid service delivery and improve its manufacturing infrastructure for future international growth. Another major oil manufacturing company, National Oilwell Varco (NOV) have also reported excellent earning and are looking at offering 5000 more oil jobs this year to aid in their production growth.

Some oil companies such as Chesapeake Energy have also decided to delve into the manufacturing side of things to meet demands, largely their own. They established a division known as Compass Manufacturing in 2007, when the boom first hit the U.S. To keep up with production, they have just opened a new 40,000 square foot assembly facility, and are hiring 75 people in the Oklahoma region through to the middle of 2012. They are looking to offer 700 oil jobs in total across their entire company during 2012.

Chesapeake Energy, produces valves, hosing, control systems and various other oil and gas products, working with many other companies, such as Nomac Drilling, who have been asked to build new rigs for natural shale gas, as well as to retrofit existing ones.

Steven Miller, Chesapeake’s senior vice president of drilling, said “Nomac is a great proxy for what shale has done to the market. Nomac didn’t exist 10 years ago and has gone from a startup in 2001 to more than 130 rigs now.” The plan to increase their staff to over 3500 next year and speed up production to 150 rigs next year.

James Minmier, the president of Nomac Drilling added, “For every well drilled in the US – and there are tens of thousands drilled each year – up to 200 people come and go across that well. All are high-paying jobs that infuse dollars into local communities.”

The gas jobs growth is a direct result of the new technologies that have allowed oil and gas companies to economically extract gas from shale rock, which before was too tightly packed to easily extract the gas.

James West, of Barclays Capital, an analyst of oil field services, said, “3.5m of horsepower in pressure pumping equipment will be added to the US market in 2011, and the same amount is likely in 2012. The US is adding $8-$10bn in economic activity just to build equipment to produce shale.”

According to research, the U.S. will soon become the largest producer of oil and gas on a barrel of energy basis, probably by the year 2020, overtaking Russia and Saudi Arabia. 

To learn more about working in the natural gas industry, gas production and oilfield services, and discover what oil and gas career options you have available, make sure you visit Oil Job Finder and become a member.

The time for new jobs in oil and gas, especially in oil drilling is slowly rising, thanks to new approvals and leases by the U.S. Government, specifically in Alaska. Obama has recently approved 500 oil drilling leases off the coast of Alaska, and many other projects are waiting in the wings for approval. Many people are still suffering with unemployment and many blame the fact that there are no jobs, however they overlook the jobs that are there, but just waiting on approval from the relevant parties.

In Philadelphia, around 1000 oil jobs will be created thanks to the $400 million construction of 2 huge oil tanker ships which will take place in the historic shipyard. The Exxon Mobile project will see each tanker weighing in at around 115 tons, creating plenty of oil construction jobs as well as oil rig jobs when the project is over. This is great news for the American economy as a whole, not just Philadelphia.

Another project underway is that of a new steel mill in Youngstown, Ohio. The mill will cost $650 million to build and will create over 350 natural gas jobs related to the manufacture of equipment for natural gas extraction.

Many other projects have been analyzed in the oil and gas industry and it is assumed that they will bring in a huge number of jobs, but face certain obstacles and await government approval before commencing. In New York for example, about 40,000 gas jobs could be created if the go ahead was given to pursue the hydraulic fracturing process. This employment figure is if only 300 wells are drilled, but there are many more in the area. Currently, the New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is working to overturn the moratorium on the hydraulic fracturing process for the State understanding the risks, but also aware of the fact that each of these new jobs will pay in the region of $80,000 each.

Similarly the new Keystone XL Pipeline Project, which will boost oil and gas employment dramatically all the way from Canada down to the U.S Gulf Coast, is still at a standstill. Backed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the pipeline is still waiting for approval from States like Nebraska. This halt is causing American’s to go without jobs, and according to a recent study released by Woods Mackenzie research company, if the red tape surrounding new local oil and gas production could be eliminated, or at least reduced, 1.4 million oil pipeline jobs and other oil jobs could be created almost immediately.

Aside from this, around $800 million in revenue will be seen and this will be in the form of high paying jobs, invested in by the private sector, not the tax payer. With all the facts and figures at your fingertips, you can see just how many employment opportunities are out there. They just need to be realized by the government approving the many oil and gas related projects that are all waiting.

If you want to be ready when it comes time for oil and gas industry hiring, you should check out all the available jobs on Oil Job Finder. Here you will learn all about oil and gas careers, and discover all the different kinds of jobs that are available in this sector. Aside from learning in depth information about each job, you will also find out more details about the different oil and gas projects that are currently employing workers, and discover what you need to study in order to get a job with any oil company.

U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Enforcement and Regulation (BOEMRE) has given the Shell Oil Company conditional approval to begin drilling exploration oil wells in the Beaufort Sea as of July 2012. This approval has been given with the condition that Shell obtains all the necessary legal permits from relevant environmental agencies upon a full impact assessment of the area. The go ahead could mean plenty of oil industry jobs.

Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith said, “The conditional approval of our plan of exploration is welcome news and adds to our cautious optimism that we will be drilling our Alaska leases by this time next year. Shell’s Beaufort Sea plan of exploration includes drilling up to four wells over two years in the Beaufort Sea beginning in July of 2012. In a separate plan of exploration, Shell is pursuing a drilling program in the Chukchi Sea that would also commence in 2012. Shell has taken extraordinary steps to build confidence around our exploration program. We stand ready to deploy the most robust Arctic oil spill response system known to industry and, in accordance with the BOEMRE’s requirements, Shell has shown that our oil spill response capability exceeds our calculated worst-case discharge volume for the wells being proposed. Additionally, Shell remains committed to fabricating an oil spill capping system, which is designed to capture hydrocarbons at the source in the extremely unlikely event of a shallow water blowout. The capping system will remain staged in Alaska to allow for rapid deployment.”

The decision was based on various environmental factors and information taken from energy development in the Arctic, the director of BOEMRE, Michael Bromwich, explained, “We will closely review and monitor Shell’s proposed activities to ensure that any activities that take place under this plan will be conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”

Hundreds of oil exploration jobs are expected to be created once this plan is finalized. Senator Lisa Murkowski revised the approval as a “positive step forward.” She state, “If this plan is allowed to advance this time, it could help address many of our most pressing challenges, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, generating hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax revenues, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and improving our trade balance.”

Despite disappointment and outrage from environmentalists and various environmental organizations, the congress praised the decision wholeheartedly. Sen. Murkowski said in a prepared statement, “Shell has been working to secure approval of this plan for over five years. This is another positive step forward, and I’m hopeful that they will soon be able to move forward with exploration and production in the Beaufort.”

The approval gives Shell an exploration permit lasting 2 years in which they can explore 4 wells just off Camden Bay. If the plan goes ahead, you will find plenty of Alaska job openings which you can apply for including oil drilling jobs, oil exploration jobs, and more.

If you want to learn more about the types of oil jobs you can get, visit Oil Job Finder. Here you will gain access to a huge database of oil and gas industry professionals, employers and training programs. You will find out what types of oil and gas jobs you can get, as well as discover how much you can earn, what the working hours and conditions are like and where are the best places to find work. Oil jobs can also be found through the Job Board and you will also find application tips and interview advice so that you have the best chance of getting an oil job or gas job.

The oil and gas industry in Texas is increasing to pre-recession highs with over 224,200 oil exploration and oil production jobs in the area. This makes the oil and gas employment rate the highest it has been in Texas since October 2008, when it had its last oil industry peak, according to Karr Ingham, the creator of the Texas Petroleum Index (TPI) which is a composite based on various economic indicators like production volumes, commodity prices, drilling data and more.

“In the past 12 months, the industry has added more than 28,600 jobs, which is nearly 13 percent of all jobs added to the Texas economy,” said Ingham. “That’s really an accomplishment, considering the TPI in June indicates the industry still has not recovered to the level of economic health that created the last jobs milestone.”

“In the current expansion, the industry has returned to its crude oil roots, but even at that, it is not the same industry as it was in the 1980s and 1990s,” Ingham said.

Even though the industry has not returned to its highest employment rates as yet, all indicators suggest that it is heading that way. Natural gas prices are currently lower than they were during the 2002 – 2008 boom, and the oil rig count is still about 100 short of its prior amount.

This said, over the last year, the oil and gas industry has added about 13 percent to the economy of Texas, and between May and June 2011 alone, about 10% of the 32 thousand jobs that were introduced were in the oil and gas field.

Another finding was the fact that oil production beat out natural gas as the number one fossil fuel of choice for the first 6 months of 2011 which is a move away from the trend starting in 1997.

With employment reaching record highs in the gas and oil sector, it is now the ideal time to look for energy employment. Jobs in the oil and gas industry range from drilling jobs to oil rig jobs, pipeline jobs, natural gas jobs, oil refinery jobs and more. 

If you want to learn more about the various oil and gas jobs that are available in Texas and all around the world, have a look at Oil Job Finder. Here you will gain access to over 120 pages of information about oil jobs and gas jobs. There is also detailed advice and tips given about how to apply for these jobs, what to study, where to find the best job opportunities, what the working conditions are like, and much more.

Ceres Power is going to be expanding and opening up a new manufacturing factory in Sussex with over 170 new oil and gas jobs being created it the process. It is said that the facility will produce up to 30 thousand fuel cell CHP (Combined Heat and Power) products per year which means that there are plenty more “green collar” jobs to offer in the near future.

The jobs at the Sussex facility will be in the engineering field with skilled technicians and manufacturers required. Ceres Power also states that they might be able to export the CHP product globally in a few years time and more jobs will be required for production of this nature.

State Business Minster, Mark Prisk opened the facility and it is hoped that aside from new oil jobs, this will also help to clean the environment and save on electricity costs.

According to Prisk, “Here in Britain we have a vibrant low carbon environmental goods and services market which is already the sixth largest in the world and worth £112bn. It is thanks to innovative research and product development by companies such as Ceres Power that we are leading the world with this sort of technology and which will help us realize our ambition to make the UK a leading high tech, highly skilled economy.”

The advanced fuel cell technology is being developed at the new facility and the module will be integrated with the CHP product which will essentially replace a traditional boiler. The group has already partnered with British Gas which will install these CHP products into every home in Britain who buys one. They claim that using their system will save you up to 25 % on your energy bill and lower your carbon emissions.

He added, “Ceres Power’s work in developing a revolutionary new product that can convert natural gas into electricity and heat without burning it will cut costs of annual energy bills and has the potential to make a major contribution to reducing carbon emissions in millions of homes in the UK and across Europe.”

The Chairman of Ceres Power, Brian Count, said, “Ceres Power is committed to continuing to commercialize its world-leading technology and position the UK as a leader in the deployment and manufacture of low carbon advanced manufactured products. We look forward to creating significant further skilled jobs in the UK and generating export opportunities in partnership with the UK government.”

If you want to learn more about the different types of oil and gas jobs, you should visit Oil Job Finder, where you will not only learn about gas and oil related careers, but what you need to do to get one of these jobs.  You will gain access to over 180 pages of information about oil and gas employment once you become a member and be able to access the Job Board to search for the most current openings.

In a recent unemployment report, Alaska is once again well below the average for unemployment in the country with Fairbanks having the lower unemployment rate at just 6.5 % according to the Department of Labor. At the same time last year the rate was 6.8 %, so things are getting better and better all the time.

The national rate is currently at 8.7 % and this figure rises even more to 9.1 % when seasonally adjusted. Fairbanks also boasts the lowest rate in the state with Alaska averaging a 7.4 % unemployment rate. According to the statistics, jobs in Alaska were up this May in some sectors including the oil and gas industry which introduced 700 new oil and gas jobs.

However, some industries were down including seafood processing, wholesale trade, construction and food and beverage stores. Due to the federal census workers leaving, the government employment was also down and it has dropped by about 1500 people during the year. The local government, however, also dropped about 500 jobs this year.

Although Fairbanks and some other cities in Alaska has very low unemployment rates, the country should not be oblivious to the fact that there are places in Alaska that are suffering with some horrific unemployment up to 21 % or more.

Development is needed for the sustainment of the economy in Alaska and across America. Seasonal work may also brighten up things for the Alaskan unemployment rate, but once the season comes to a close, the rates will increase again as people are out of work.

In relation to this, the timber industry has decided to formulate a Timber Job Task Force in order to prepare and make recommendations for job creation in the timber industry in Alaska. This task force is being headed by nine members, as appointed by the Alaska Governor, Sean Parnell, who represent various sectors of the timber industry across the state. The task force is due to get to work this month and organize new timber industry jobs through the development of timber harvesting and recommendations with regards to federal, state and private lands.

If you want to find out more about the various jobs that you can get in beautiful Alaska and help to boost employment and economy of the State, visit Alaska Job Finder to learn more. You will get plenty of information about fishing jobs, oil jobs and summer jobs you can get in Alaska and how you can go about getting one of them.

The Oklahoma Energy Resource Board recently held a study that highlighted strong growth in the oil and gas industry since the above average recovery from the 18 month recession. The study was conducted by the Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute at Oklahoma City University and it was concluded that the oil and natural gas industry remains the foundation of the economy of the state.

According to Russell Evans, the Executive Director of the Institute, “The oil and gas industry is still Oklahoma’s number one defining industry. The industry is likely in a continuing boom period – even if modest – relative to pre-recession activity.”

The producers in Oklahoma pumped out and marketed about 67 million barrels of oil during 2009 which accounted for 3.5 percent of the total U.S production and along with this, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of natural gas was also produced. These figures made Oklahoma the 6th largest producer of oil the United States and the 3rd largest natural gas producer.

There have been problems during the recession with 13 thousand people losing their jobs, however these oil jobs have slowly started being recovered with 4000 people getting their jobs back since 2009. Aside from the recession, the industry has seen an overall oil and gas employment growth of 46.2 percent since 2002. 

At the moment, the total job count is as follows:

• 71,224 Oklahomans are employed directly by the production and oil drilling sectors.
• 228,115 jobs are supported indirectly by the oil and natural gas industry.
• 300,000 jobs create more than $14 billion in labor income.

Lt. Governor of Oklahoma State, Todd Lamb said, “An industry as successful as the oil and natural gas industry helps show Oklahoma is business-friendly. Economic development is the key to a strong Oklahoma. The indirect and induced jobs that the oil and natural gas industry provide are helping rural communities across our state thrive.”

Mike Terry, the Chairman of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, “In Oklahoma, we understand the importance of the oil and natural gas industry. Those of us who live close to the wellhead understand and depend on the impact this industry has on jobs and the overall economy. “The Oklahoma Energy Resource Board (OERB) Chairman, David House agreed and said, “What is important to note today is that this industry remains committed to the state of Oklahoma and growing our industry right here.”

With oil and gas industry jobs on the rise in this state as well as various others, it is a good time to start looking at the different types of oil jobs available including oil exploration jobs, oil drilling jobs, and oil rig jobs. To start looking for jobs, all you need to do is become a member and you will gain access to the job board.

A £50 million investment over the rest of the year by Swire Oilfield Services will see Aberdeen getting a job boost with a new headquarters being built, and £20 million of the amount being invested in the North Sea operations. This company specializes in supplying offshore units for carrying cargo, and has 20 new oil jobs available at its headquarters.

The chief operating officer, Rupert Bray, said, “Whilst there may be some uncertainty in the North Sea due to recent tax changes, the global offshore energy industry presents a real opportunity to expand the company’s global market presence.  There is currently a high demand for safe, reliable, high quality, and internationally approved offshore cargo carrying units around the world. As the largest global provider of these units and associated services, Swire has the resources and commitment to invest in growth and to assist the offshore industry in achieving its safety, quality and productivity targets.”

The work on the new headquarters will begin in the Altens area in July and the types of jobs that will be provided range from oil and gas industry management positions, admin jobs, and other office related oil careers.

Other jobs that you can get in the oil and gas industry include:

SCADA Engineer Jobs

SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and the engineers are certified to work on these systems which monitor all the part of the pipeline operations.

Oil Pipeline Construction Diver Jobs

Pipeline Construction Divers are directly involved in the repair and construction of the pipelines.

Oil and Gas Pipeliner Jobs

The maintenance and repair on the pipelines are performed by the oil pipeliners.

Oil Pipeline Walker Jobs

The pipeline walkers are those who specialize in location washouts, leaks, damaged communication infrastructure, joint breaks, and the like.

Oil and Gas Pipeline Welder Jobs

Pipeline welders perform welds on the pipelines and gas mains in accordance with industry standards.

Oil and Gas Pipelayer Jobs

Pipelayers organize the different parts of the pipeline and align it to prepare it for welding.

To find out more about oil and gas jobs that could be offered and what other kinds of hands on oil careers options there are, visit Oil Job Finder and become a member. Here you will gain access to 180 or more pages on the oil and gas industry and jobs including oil rig jobs, petroleum pipeline jobs, oil sands jobs, Alaska oil jobs, Barnett Shale jobs, North Dakota oil jobs, oil refinery jobs, offshore oil rig jobs, oil exploration jobs and more.

With the affects of global warming becoming ever more prominent and the oil industry taking a knock because of it, it might seem a bit hopeless to look for a job in the oil industry. The truth of the matter is that many small towns and cities in America rely on oil for their survival. Oil jobs are generally what small towns’ people know and in many places could be the only source of real income for the town. However, if you have trouble wrapping your head around working in an industry that is notorious for pollution, what options do you have? Well, you might be surprised to learn that there are oil and gas jobs that are “green”. These companies are environmentally friendly and have been created to research new energy sources that will help to reduce the carbon footprint left by generations before them. 

What we are talking about is bio-fuel and green energy. There are tons of these companies popping up all over the country, all able to offer green oil and gas jobs that make use of your skills, but that do not harm the environment. Most of the jobs offered are in the engineering field and scientist jobs are also in demand due to the young nature of the industry.

Companies are also looking at collaborating with large oil industry giants, and many of those giants like Royal Dutch Shell have decided to tap into the bio-fuel industry themselves in order to show that they are trying to make a difference. This has led to an increase in the amount of green oil jobs on offer and has provided the platform for those already employed by an oil company to change over.

Bio-fuel and other forms of green energy are the future, and this means a huge increase in the number of jobs every year. As technologies improve and methods are honed, the green oil and gas industry will emerge with thousands of new jobs ranging from those in the laboratories to those down on the ground.

One method already exists of turning algae into energy, with more and more discoveries occurring each day. If you want to find a sustainable job in the oil and gas industry that you can be especially proud of, then look to the environmentally conscious oil and gas employers out there. In the past you might have been termed a fool for even thinking that green fuels would ever be a present force in the economy behind big oil and gas companies, but with the global crises that we have all been privy to, even the big oil and gas companies can’t turn a blind eye anymore, and have decided to rather be part of the change and profit from it, than fight the inevitable.

To learn more about oil and gas career options, visit Oil Job Finder and become a member.

Even though the oil prices are fluctuating and confidence in the market is dwindling, the oil industry and oil refineries still remain one of the biggest forms of employment across many parts of the country, and even the world. For some, oil refineries and the oil industry is why their town was built in the first place and they will be looking for these high paying oil jobs. There are different types of oil refinery careers you can choose from, but can be broken into 2 main categories:

Oil Refinery Engineering Jobs

The engineering jobs are focused around certain skills in chemical engineering, mechanical, structural electrical, civil, software, and industrial. Once you have completed 4 years at an accredited university majoring in engineering, you will be ready to apply for any of these jobs at an oil refinery. Some countries only require 3 years of study in order to qualify and some require advanced degrees.

Oil Refinery Journeyman Jobs

The journeyman oil refinery jobs include those working in construction and are normally filled by those without any form of formal education. You will normally start working as an apprentice and train under a supervisor and will perform maintenance and repair work on the oil refinery. You will work your way up to a supervisory role in the following order:

• Oil Refinery Apprentice Jobs – This is a trainee doing classroom work and on site work under the guidance of a supervisor. You will normally get paid a percentage of what the journeyman gets paid. 
• Oil Journeyman Jobs – The journeyman is the experienced and qualified oil refinery worker who has a certification and completed training in a certain field.
• Oil Refinery Foreman Jobs – Once a journeyman is promoted he becomes the Foreman. You have to have excellent leadership skills to get this promotion with tasks including organizing timesheets, scheduling and directing projects, and handling worker payments.  
• Refinery General Foreman Jobs – The general foremen are usually those who have years and experience and oversee the site foremen, also making sure that they have the equipment they need. 
• Oil Refinery Site Supervisor – The site supervisor is the main person in charge and they will oversee the entire project on behalf of the contracting construction company that the refinery has hired.

Here are some other excellent oil industry jobs that you can get:

Project Engineer
Process Engineer
Refinery Design Engineer
Chemical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Corrosion Engineer
Instrument & Electrical Reliability Engineer
Structural Engineer
Control Panel Operator
Shift Supervisor
Pump System Operator
Gaugers
Boilermaker
Millwright
Pipefitter
Welders & Cutters
Ironworker

Learn more about these jobs when you become a member of Oil Job Finder and gain access to the Job Board where you get updated oil and gas industry job posts.