The first natural gas well was drilled in Ohio 150 years ago.
To celebrate that milestone, the industry has started the Ohio Energy Proud campaign to highlight its importance in the state. It employs 75,000 people and supplies billions of cubic feet of natural gas to local residents.
"In Ohio last year, statewide, we produced over 88 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and the great thing about that is almost 100 percent of that stays right here in our own backyard," said Rhonda Reda, Ohio Oil and Natural Gas Education.
Mahoning County produced more than 7.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas, Reda said. Because seven out of 10 homes in the county use natural gas, this provides a lot of local energy benefits, she added.
There are more than 2,000 gas producing wells in Mahoning County.
