160 New Oilfield Jobs Coming To Lewis County West Virginia

Fountain Quail Energy Services is bringing more than 160 jobs to Lewis County as part of a new field office the oilfield services company is opening in the Jane Lew Industrial Park, according to Del. Patrick Martin, R-Lewis.

“This is great news for our region and state,” Martin said. “When I learned that Fountain Quail was looking to open an office, the Jane Lew Industrial Park location seemed like an ideal fit, and I reached out to company officials to encourage them to consider it.

“While they looked at sites in other states, in the end Fountain Quail recognized that West Virginia provided the best opportunity for the future of their company.”

Fountain Quail Energy Services provides an integrated set of oilfield water management solutions, including water trucking, water transfer, wastewater treatment and recycling and saltwater disposal.

Fountain Quail Drilling, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fountain Quail Energy Services, provides top-hole drilling services across the Appalachian Basin and will be headquartered at the Jane Lew facility.

“We looked at sites in Ohio and Pennsylvania, but Mr. Martin pointed out that the proximity to drilling activity, available facilities and a workforce with a strong work ethic made Jane Lew an easy choice,” said Robert Sloan, chief operating officer at Fountain Quail.

“Fountain Quail assists oil and gas producers with innovative water management solutions that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective for our customers,” Sloan said. “We do this above all with a keen eye on safety, because we value our people as our most valuable asset.”

Sloan said the company has already filled about 100 jobs for the Jane Lew site, and is looking to add another 60 jobs through early 2018. While the company is transferring some existing staff to the Jane Lew office, the majority of jobs at the location are new positions with the company.

Sloan said the company is adding workers with a range of technical skills for a wide variety of oilfield-related jobs, ranging from drilling hands to CDL drivers for water hauling.

He also said there is a “high probability” the company could expand further in the state.

“With proper oil and gas legislation, and a sensible balance of maintaining the beauty of this state with the need for the folks here to work, we believe West Virginia is in a position to enjoy the benefits of helping supply our country’s energy needs for generations to come,” Sloan said.

Agnes Queen, president of the Lewis County Commission, said new employment opportunities are always a positive thing for the Lewis County community.

“We’re very excited and happy to hear that there are new jobs coming to the area,” she said. “We desperately need jobs for folks who are looking to go to work.”

Fountain Quail’s expansion is the latest sign that the Legislature’s pro-growth reforms are gaining attention and encouraging new business investment in the state, Martin said

“For too many years West Virginia was seen as a hostile place to do business,” Martin said. “We’ve worked hard to turn around that perception, and by working hand-in-hand with companies like Fountain Quail, we can encourage businesses to invest here and put more of our people to work.

“We’ve made great strides in recent years, and if we continue to reach out and tell that story to business leaders, and show them we’re willing to work with them to help them grow, we’ll see many more investments like this one in the years to come,” Martin said.

Mike Herron, executive director of the Lewis County Economic Development Authority, said the jobs will greatly assist those in the area who have struggling economically.

“New jobs coming to the area are important because we’ve been in a little recession with the oil and gas industry,” he said. “So this is a welcome new venture for the county, and we’re excited about those jobs.”

Source: Exponent Telegram