into the underground rock formation.
The water pressure creates tiny openings
in the rock which is held open by the
sand, thus allowing the oil or gas to flow
freely and escape through the well to
the surface. This technology, combined
with horizontal drilling, was perfected
in the Barnett Shale, and has allowed oil
and gas operators to produce massive
amounts of oil and natural gas from
geological formations in the United
States which were once considered
uneconomical to drill.
At the beginning of June, 2011 there
were 349 rigs operating in the Permian
Basin, with twenty nine of those in
Midland County alone. This number is
expected to rise in the next twelve to
eighteen months as more companies
move west. With this new technology,
there will undoubtedly be more activity
in the area as these plays continue to
expand and develop, and with that
comes new jobs and opportunities for
the citizens of West Texas.
At present you’d be hard-pressed to
find an empty motel room across the
Permian Basin. Courthouses are packed
with landmen, sometimes elbow to
elbow, researching mineral title for the
county. Oil company workers, rig hands
and others fill the local restaurants
and stores. Hotels are booked weeks,
sometimes months in advance.
The commercial real estate market
is also on the rise. Many oil and gas
companies with operations in the
Permian have leased office space in
Midland and surrounding areas, and
some established companies in the area
are starting to expand and acquire new
space. All of this comes as a result of
the recent oil boom that has hit West
Texas once again.
Companies in the oil and gas industry
are also taking advantage of the rising
business opportunities. From frac tank
rental companies to water haulers, land
brokers to well service companies,
signs that the new oil and gas activity
is here to stay are everywhere and
showing a big boost in these small town
economies. In a time when the rest of
the nation is suffering from lack of
jobs and unemployment, many of these
companies are actively hiring locals.
The Texas Workforce Commission
reported in March that Midland’s
unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent,
the lowest in Texas, and 3,600 jobs have
been added in the last year. There is no
doubt that opportunities abound in the
Permian.
Thank you to the oil and gas
businesses that choose to do business in
the area for your contribution not only
to the workforce, but to the community
as a whole!  MLM
The Permian Basin has a rich
history dating back to the 1920’s
when Midland was merely a
stop on the Texas and Pacific
railway line, halfway between
Fort Worth and El Paso. A quiet
little ranching town, Midland
was known as a place to buy
supplies and ship cattle. But
with the discovery of oil in
the Permian Basin, Midland
was quickly transformed into
a central hub for oil and gas
activity in West Texas.
Hometown Living At Its Best
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