Linde Grows With Marcellus Shale Opportunities

Linde Construction Corp. has seen tremendous growth since it began to develop opportunities in the Marcellus Shale region in July 2009.

At that time, the company had 175 employees. This month, the company plans to employ 300 workers and many more subcontractors, said Chris Langel, executive vice president, utility division.

“We are forecasting that we will add perhaps another 50 people in the following months,” Langel said. “We have essentially doubled in size, with virtually all of that growth in staff directly related to the natural gas industry. We are continuing to hire skilled welders, pipefitters, pipe benders, day laborers and heavy equipment operators of all kinds.”At that time, the company had 175 employees. This month, the company plans to employ 300 workers and many more subcontractors, said Chris Langel, executive vice president, utility division.

Linde is completing construction on its new corporate headquarters in the O’Hara Industrial Park at 118 Armstrong Road, Pittston. The new four-story facility, as well as 20 acres of related maintenance and support facilities, will combine the current operations in Honesdale, Wilkes-Barre Township and Pittston. Most of the company’s work with the natural gas industry is being done in Susquehanna, Bradford and Wyoming counties.

Langel recently shared the company’s ideas about Linde’s growing presence in the natural gas industry.

Q: What type of work does Linde Corp. do in the natural gas industry?

A: Linde provides a wide range of services for the natural gas industry. We don’t drill the wells, but we do prepare the well pad for the drilling companies. We lay pipeline for the gas companies to transport their natural gas from the wells. Ours are called midstream lines, in that they connect the wellheads from the individual wells with larger transmission lines. We construct compressor stations, and we do some horizontal directional drilling to take gas lines under roads or wetlands when necessary. We also reconstruct and repave public and private roads for gas companies. In addition, we have opened transload facilities at the Carbondale and Sayre railyards, so that companies from outside our region (can) store them for future use in the gas fields.

Q: How did Linde Corp. work its way into this industry?

A: Since their inception, the Linde companies have contracted services for sewer, water, gas and electric utilities, so providing contracting services for the shale gas industry was a natural progression for us. In 2007, we had basically never heard of Marcellus Shale. But two of our business-development partners flew over the Susquehanna and Bradford County areas. Seeing all the well-drilling activity, together we reached out to the gas companies doing the work. We have signed master service agreements with over a dozen gas companies to date and since July of 2009, the shale gas portion of our business quickly became the majority of our workload. It is now approximately two-thirds of our earned income and includes over 50 miles of underground natural gas lines.

Q: Do you anticipate future growth?

A: We do. We expect to grow from 300 in May to 350 or more before the end of the year. Down the road, we see Linde growing to approximately 500 people on staff. And yes, most of that growth will come directly as a result of our involvement with Marcellus Shale and the natural gas that is produced. We agree with the published reports which project that Marcellus Shale will be a steady opportunity for 20-plus years. Here at Linde, we will grow with its development.

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