(Photo provided/Williams Energy) Shown here welders work on welding a natural gas pipeline. Williams Energy and other natural gas drilling companies will be among those participating in the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce’s Oil & Gas Forum on April 30.

MOUNDSVILLE — The Marshall County Chamber of Commerce is preparing to host its first conference focused on the oil and gas industry and its future in the region.

The Marshall County Chamber of Commerce Energy Conference: Oil and Gas Forum is scheduled for noon April 30 at Grand Vue Park’s Special Events Hall. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $30 and includes lunch. To register, call 304-845-2773.

The forum will feature speakers and panelists “representing a strong cross-section of the industry,” said Scott Reager, executive director of the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce.

Panelists will include representatives from the West Virginia Oil and Gas Association, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Regional Economic Development Partnership, Expand Energy, MPLX, Williams Energy, Tenaska, West Virginia Northern Community College and others.

“Attendees will gain insight into both the technical aspects of the oil and gas industry and the broader outlook for growth and opportunity across West Virginia — especially in the Northern Panhandle,” he said.

Reager said the forum also will provide networking opportunities and allow attendees to ask questions about the workforce and future of the energy industry in the region.

“We are positioned within a vital tri-state energy corridor; the Northern Panhandle plays a key role in shaping the future of energy development alongside Ohio and Pennsylvania,” he said. “Our goal is to convene leaders, align priorities and turn both opportunities and challenges into actionable strategies that accelerate regional growth and meaningful partnerships in the Ohio Valley and the region.”