CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

It’s another sign of the economic promise pegged to the gas rush overtaking the Southern Tier.

Superior Well Services, a company that provides technical help developing natural gas wells, will open an office in Owego, according to the Tioga County Department of Economic Development and Planning.

The expansion is expected to add 28 full-time jobs to the region over five years. The company should begin hiring within the next few weeks, according to a report from economic developers.

The company will lease 22,000 square feet of building space adjacent to the Owego & Harford rail yard. The rail company will also construct a 1,000-foot rail siding to accommodate the business, according to the report.

Owego Mayor Ed Arrington said Thursday night he did not have details of the business, but welcomed the jobs to the area. “It’s a great boon,” he said.

The availability of rail service was a key factor for the expansion of Superior Well Service, based in Indiana, Pa., the report states. It is anticipated that 2,000 rail cars annually will be used to transport material needed for the drilling process to the region.

The announcement comes as companies begin to lease land and prepare to drill into the Marcellus Shale Formation to extract natural gas. The formation runs throughout the Southern Tier and Pennsylvania.