The central Arkansas region sits on the cusp of one of the most significant industrial developments in the state’s history. This development, known of course as the Fayetteville Shale Play, is believed by geologists and engineers to be one of the largest supplies of natural gas in the country.

A March 2008 study conducted by the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville reported that energy companies working in the Play had direct expenditures of almost $1.8 billion in 2007, and continued expenditures will lead to a total economic impact of more than $2.6 billion for Arkansas in 2009. The study also projected that investment in the shale area will create 11,000 jobs and will contribute $17.9 billion to Arkansas’ economy by the end of 2012.

Just a few years ago, it was thought to be impossible to drill and gather in the Play. That was before significant developments in the field of advanced horizontal drilling and completion technologies. These new technologies, coupled with improved 3-D seismic imaging for clearer images of the subsurface, finally made it economically feasible to develop the Fayetteville Shale Play. As the earliest wells of the Play were being drilled and plans for its future were being made, industry experts realized that the necessary workforce to support the development of this Play was not present within local communities. Companies involved with the activity were forced to bring in personnel from out of state; it soon became apparent that there had to be a more efficient method of training individuals for work in the area. 

Enter the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM). John Thaeler, senior vice president of Southwestern Energy Company, approached UACCM Chancellor Nathan Crook with the idea of creating a new department within the college dedicated to training and educating individuals to support the anticipated growth of the petroleum industry. This was no small order, as UACCM’s associate of applied science degree in petroleum technology would be the first in Arkansas and one of only a handful in the country. In order to assist with program development, Southwestern Energy pledged $200,000 to be the founding sponsor.

Today, more than two years later, the department is established, and its continuing objective is to tailor a plan of study specifically toward the needs of the Fayetteville Shale Play. The program began its third year in August and has already shown signs of success.

The department was received with great enthusiasm, and the first semester began with 36 students enrolled. In the fall of 2008, 144 of the nearly 2,000 UACCM students were enrolled in the program, all drawn from a diverse demographic group ranging from recent high school graduates to senior citizens; both male and female.

As operations in the Fayetteville Shale Play continue to expand, UACCM will continue to emphasize the significance of the petroleum technology program. According to Harold Korrell, President and CEO of Southwestern Energy, 50 percent of the petroleum workforce presently available in Arkansas will be eligible for retirement in the next 10 years, and area companies are eager to secure knowledgeable replacements for those retirees. Through the continued dedication to its petroleum technology program, UACCM aims to do just that.