Conventional Oil & Gas Producer
CAMERON
ENERGY
COMPANY
ABOUT CAmeroN
Energy
Cameron is a family owned small business located in western Pennsylvania. We started our business in 1988 and we are proud to have over 30 employees in our Cameron family. We operate 2,000 conventional oil and gas wells in Warren, Forest and McKean counties. We supply natural gas to local homes, hospitals and schools; our oil is refined into lubricating oil, gasoline, and home products.
about our industry
ConventionaL VS. Unconventional
Cameron operates conventional oil and gas wells, meaning shallow vertical wells, which are usually no deeper than 2000’. The world’s first conventional well was drilled in 1859, by “Colonel” Edwin Drake, just a few miles away, in Titusville PA. PA’s shallow conventional industry is different than the new Unconventional Shale Well industry that came to PA in the early 2000’s. Unconventional wells are many thousands of feet deep; they tap dense shale formations like the Marcellus and Utica shales, through the use of large hydrofracturing processes. Unconventional wells produce enormous amounts of gas under high pressure; in fact, the average unconventional well produces dozens or even hundreds as many times the gas as a conventional well. New pipelines are being constructed around PA to carry the high pressure gas from unconventional wells. On the other hand, conventional wells produce oil and gas at low pressures; conventional wells are connected to local distribution systems for home and business consumption. Most conventional wells are owned by small businesses. Most unconventional wells are owned by multinational companies.
Economic impact within Pennsylvania
Conventional oil and gas is found primarily in 19 counties in western PA. The conventional oil and gas wells in the 19-County Region generate an estimated $1.4 billion in total annual economic impact. PA’s conventional oil and gas industry supports an estimated 5,600 jobs with $241 million in earnings. Additionally, the operations support $17 million in annual tax revenues to PA.
Environmental issues
Conventional wells have a small environmental footprint. Compared to unconventional wells, conventional wells occupy a tiny space, and conventional wells require only a few truck trips for drilling and completion. Over 8000 conventional wells (12% of the wells reporting production in PA) are found in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), in northwestern PA. In its Forest Plan, the ANF characterized water quality in the ANF as “among the highest in the state.” Further, a study by Clarion University of oil and gas development on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the ANF “...did not detect a negative impact to water quality” from conventional oil and gas development. Cameron operates several hundred conventional wells in the ANF, and Cameron’s Environmental Care Coordinator monitors all of Cameron’s wells (both inside and outside the ANF) to insure compliance with air and water quality standards.