Facing the Future
In the Gas & Oil Industry Judie Perkowski • Dix Communications
A
nyone who is interested in a career in the gas and oil industry has an opportunity to enroll in the Oil & Gas Engineering Technology program at Zane State College in Cambridge to gain the required knowledge to engage in the most challenging and dynamic industry in Ohio and around the world.
some very tough classes, such as algebra, trigonometry, software applications, world and regional geography, chemistry, hydraulics and pneumatics, reservoir/ formation evaluation and even public speaking. Most of the class work is actually done in the Willet-Pratt Training Center on the college’s campus, some classes are at the Zane State Advanced Science and Technology Center in Zanesville.
“The printing wasn’t done by Tyler or Jake personally, but they were involved in the design process. Their capstone project was to complete everything that needed to be done to make the pig launcher actually work. They did the wiring for the vacuum motors and anything else physically connected to the project,” said Paslay.
In a real-life situation, pigs can vary in size and composition, depending on the size of the pipeline and what Just ask any of the eight students The final requirement to qualify the pig is designed to accomplish, who just graduated from the twoprimarily, helping with the year degree program May 7. maintenance of transmission pipelines. These pipeline pigging Only one of the eight young men devices are major components said he is going on to a four-year to pipeline safety and accident degree program in petroleum prevention. They are inspecting engineering. The majority said they for leaks and for a build up of oil just want a job in oil and gas, where and gas sludge. They are called pigs some of their first-year classmates because they are an abbreviation have already gone. for “pipeline inspection gauge” and also because they squeal when Robert Stonerock and Paul Paslay, running though the pipeline. —Paul Paslay instructors for Zane State’s OGET program, said in the first year of The Oil & Gas Engineering the two-year program there were 18 Technology program at Zane State students. College emphasizes the basic science to receive an associate degree is a and technology of oil and natural Like any industry that relies on capstone project — something that gas exploration, development, and physical labor for many of its is physically related to the industry distribution. The completion of the operations, and they know when a and verifies your understanding of Oil & Gas Engineering Technology person enrolled in a college-level the OGET program. The project can program leads to a career in oil and oil and gas program has a basic be the work of a student or two, or natural gas exploration, drilling, knowledge of its operation, oil and the entire class. completion, production, natural gas scouts are knocking on the door. gas compression, distribution, and This year, Jake Van Allen and related field services. An emphasis About a third of the students Tyler Wells created a p.i.g. — a is placed on the development of the who enrolled in this year’s OGET pipeline inspection gauge — for oil and natural gas resources in Ohio program answered the call to begin their capstone project, which was and the surrounding Appalachian working at entry-level positions. designed on a 3-D printer at the Basin including the application Others realized the course work college’s IDEA Lab on the Zanesville of the best available technology required total dedication to campus. utilized in the traditional oil and
“ Their capstone project was to complete everything that needed to be done to make the pig launcher actually work. ”
10 OhioGas&Oil
GasandOilMag.com