OSUIT held ground breaking for new Chesapeake Energy natural gas compression training center

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

On Tuesday, the ground breaking ceremony was held for the new Chesapeake Energy Natural Gas Compression Training Center, which will be built on the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology campus in Okmulgee. The center will be under construction soon and is funded by a lead gift of $2.0 million from Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corporation. The total cost of the building is estimated to be $4.9 million and the OSU Foundation is pursuing additional gifts to fund the training center.

At the ground breaking event, remarks were made by Dr. Bill R. Path, OSUIT president; Burns Hargis, OSU president; Roy Achemire, OSUIT’s division chair of the Heavy Equipment & Vehicle Institute, which encompasses the Natural Gas Compression program; Al Lavenue, president of MidCon Compression, L.P, Chesapeake’s wholly-owned gas compression subsidiary; Jerry Winchester, senior vice president – Oilfield Services and chief executive officer of Chesapeake Oilfield Services; and Chris Burnett, president of Nabholz Construction Company, Southwest Operations. State Representative Steve Kouplen and State Representative Jerry Shoemake also attended the event.

The Chesapeake Energy Natural Gas Compression Training Center will be the first of its kind in the energy industry and will be a 23,920-square-foot building where students will learn to diagnose, service and maintain gas compression equipment. Following the opening of the training center, OSUIT’s enrollment numbers in the Natural Gas Compression program are expected to dramatically increase. 

Dr. Bill Path said, “The new training center will provide a safe training environment for students and incumbent workers and allow the university to expand the number of graduates from the natural gas compression program every year. This will help the natural gas industry meet the growing demand for affordable, clean, domestically-produced natural gas.”

Roy Achemire said currently the natural gas compression training labs are crowded, but the larger facility will provide a safer, more efficient way to train students. “With the new building, we’ll be able to enroll more students and by 2015, we plan to have up to 160 students enrolled in our program, which is an increase of 100 percent.”

Path described the center as a nearly 24,000 square foot state-of-the-art building which will enable students to have a much more realistic experience in maintenance and operation of natural gas engines and gas compressor units.  He said the key component of the new building will be two dual rail overhead cranes – each with 30 ton capacity.  “These cranes will be able to safely lift these compression skids off the flatbed trailers.” 

Al Lavenue said the new training center will ensure that MidCon Compression will have a steady stream of qualified technicians to fill the new jobs the company is creating every day. “Our company regularly hires OSUIT graduates for full-time positions, and provides summer internships to students. As our company continues to grow, our need for these technicians will continue to increase.”

Lavenue added that MidCon Compression was coordinating with Ariel Compressors, Air X Changers, Caterpillar Global Petroleum Division, Warren CAT and Compass to build a $200,000 modern gas compressor to donate to OSUIT’s program.

Jerry Winchester of Chesapeake Oilfield Services says the company has 800 job openings.  “It’s great to see the fruition of this dream of being able to train more natural gas compression technicians at OSUIT to fill jobs.”  

OSU president Burns Hargis added that OSUIT’s natural gas compression program squarely fulfills Oklahoma State University’s land grant mission. “We’re an energy state, we have tremendous reserves, and I believe someday that natural gas will be the dominant fuel in America. We need people who understand natural gas compression, will keep it running and continue improving it. That’s what the gift from Chesapeake Energy has provided us. OSUIT has been doing a great job for a long time, but this training center will enable us to train many more students and have a positive impact on our state.”    

Nabholz Construction Company will build the training center, which is expected to be completed by December 2013.

OSUIT offers an Associate in Applied Science degree in Natural Gas Compression, in which students complete four semesters of coursework and two semesters of paid internships. The natural gas compression training has been part of the OSUIT curriculum since 1979, however, the program started as an independent program in 2000.

 

About Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology offers high-quality technical training in more than 20 technical professions, planned and guided with the support of leading companies, industries, and high technology firms. As a result, students learn the latest technical advances that meet the demanding needs of employers. For more information about OSUIT, call 918.293.4680 or 1.800.722.4471 or visit the Web at www.osuit.edu