New Analysis: West Virginia’s Abundant Natural Gas and Oil Resources Provide Nearly $13 Billion in Economic, Trade & Job Benefits

CHARLESTON, WV, May 16, 2023 — The American Petroleum Institute (API) today released new analysis on the growing economic contributions of America’s natural gas and oil industry in all 50 states, including investment in West Virginia ranging from taxes and workforce wages paid to indirect and induced jobs in retail, manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors throughout the energy supply chain. The study, commissioned by API and prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), showed that the industry supported more than 73,000 jobs and contributed nearly $13 billion toward the state’s economy in 2021.

“Natural gas and oil delivers growing economic contributions to America that were nearly equivalent to Canada’s annual GDP last year. From West Virginia to California, America’s natural gas and oil workforce is the backbone of communities, supporting nearly 11 million careers throughout the energy supply chain,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said. “America’s economic outlook is brighter when we are leading the world in energy production and this analysis serves as a reminder that we need policies and regulations that encourage investment and enable development.”

The PwC report is based on the latest government data available at the state, national and congressional district level. The findings highlight the importance of policies that promote energy development, including meaningful action on permitting reform and the issuance of a final five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing.

According to the findings, in 2021, the industry directly and indirectly:

• Supported 73,120 total jobs (25,460 direct and 47,660 indirect) or 8.5 percent of West Virginia’s total employment.
• Generated an additional 1.9 jobs elsewhere in West Virginia’s economy for each direct job in the state’s natural gas and oil industry.
• Provided $4.8 billion in labor income ($1.9 billion direct and $2.9 billion indirect) to West Virginia, 9.9 percent of the state’s total.
• Contributed $12.9 billion to West Virginia’s total gross domestic product ($8.1 billion direct and $4.7 billion indirect), 15.0 percent of the state’s total.

“West Virginians enjoy significant economic and environmental benefits thanks to the development and use of our homegrown natural gas and oil,” Charlie Burd, Executive Director of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV) said. “No other fuel source provides the same level of energy security as clean-burning American natural gas, and we are proud of the industry’s ability to create thousands of good-paying jobs for West Virginia workers.”

In 2021, the U.S. led the world in natural gas and oil production and the benefits of that leadership permeated throughout non-producing and producing states alike. At the national level in 2021, the natural gas and oil industry:

• Supported 10.8 million total jobs or 5.4 percent of total U.S. employment.
• Generated an additional 3.7 jobs elsewhere in the U.S. economy for each direct job in the natural gas and oil industry.
• Produced $909 billion in labor income, or 6.4 percent of the U.S. national labor income.
• Supported nearly $1.8 trillion in U.S. gross domestic product, accounting for 7.6 percent of the national total.

Click here for more information on the economic impact analysis and here to view a copy of the report.

API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which supports nearly 11 million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. Our approximately 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, and participate in API Energy Excellence®, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization and has developed more than 800 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.

###