Langan opens Ohio office to support Utica Shale play

Elmwood Park, N.J. — Langan Engineering & Environmental Services announced the opening of an office in Akron, Ohio. The new office will provide fully integrated technical services in support of the oil and gas industry focused on the Utica Shale play as well as land development projects and corporate real estate portfolios throughout the state.

The Utica Shale is a vast oil and natural gas-bearing shale formation underlying parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York. The Utica Shale is estimated to be nearly twice the size of the Marcellus Shale but lies deeper below the surface. The U.S. Geologic Survey predicts the Utica Shale may hold as much as 940 million barrels of recoverable oil, 38.2 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas and 208 million barrels of recoverable natural gas liquids.

"The exploration and production stemming from shale plays throughout the United States have resulted in tremendous opportunity for Langan in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and North Dakota. The next step for us is Ohio," said David T. Gockel, President and CEO. "Many of our services apply to the oil and gas industry. Our goal is to build lasting relationships with those companies and become the leading engineering firm for oil and gas work. Having multiple offices in emerging oil and gas basins allows us to go wherever our services are needed."

Langan's newest office (its 18th in the United States and 23rd worldwide), is located in downtown Akron. Langan Senior Principal Gerard Coscia, who has more than 25 years of experience in leading major environmental remediation projects for utilities, chemical companies, and brownfield developers, will serve as principal-in-charge of the office. Coscia was also tasked with opening Langan's Pittsburgh office in 2010. Leading Langan's Akron location will be Civil Engineer Christopher Westbrook, P.E.; Geotechnical Engineer David Vovak, P.E.; and Surveyor Anthony Maione, PS.

"Langan's success in the Marcellus was in large part predicated on our ability to bring technically innovative and environmentally sustainable solutions to our client," said Coscia. "We look forward to bringing that same level of engineering excellence to clients focused on the Utica Shale, as well as clients in the design and development market throughout Ohio, where we already have several major projects underway."