NATCHEZ &8212; Three Natchez men in the oil industry have taken steps to reclaim a network believed lost in recent years.

One, Ryan Marchbanks of Miss-Lou Pipe and Equipment, said the revival of local work in the oil fields has changed his life dramatically.

&8220;My dad (Paul H. Marchbanks) started this business 11 years ago,&8221; he said. &8220;I had been working with him part time, but in January I came on full time because business was so busy.&8221;

Jody Helbling of Energy Drilling spearheaded recently the founding of a chapter of the Association of Energy Service Companies, a national organization with chapters throughout the United States.

&8220;We had our first official meeting on Sept. 19,&8221; Helbling said. &8220;We had 33 people show up, coming all the way from Laurel, Lafayette and Houston.&8221;

The next meeting will be 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 15 at Biscuits and Blues, Helbling said, with a program by Randy Smith Training Solutions of Layfayette, La., a company known for employee training that optimizes industry performance.

The Natchez group brings the total number of AESC chapters in the country to 18. Each local chapter networks with others and with national committees.

&8220;The AESC has a lot of exposure in Washington,&8221; Helbling said. &8220;If there is a law about to be passed that would be harmful to our industry, maybe lawmakers don&8217;t know how it will affect us. Through AESC, we can let them know about it.&8221;

Local networking will be one of the primary benefits of the Natchez chapter, he said.

&8220;Right now, oil is in a boom time. Sometimes it&8217;s hard to find a part you need,&8221; Helbling said. &8220;Maybe you can meet someone who can help you find it.&8221;

Marchbanks agreed. &8220;With all the re-entry into old wells going on in Natchez, there is a need for some special products that we as a company might have,&8221; he said. &8220;This will give us the opportunity to let people know about these products.&8221;

At the first meeting, Helbling was elected chapter chairman; Marchbanks, vice chairman; and Richard Crook, also of Natchez, secretary. Riley Winchester of Jackson was elected treasurer.

Special events planned for the coming year include a possible golf tournament in Natchez in the spring that will raise money for scholarships; and an appreciation banquet for the oil industry field hands.

Helbling said he has enjoyed meeting others who work in the industry. Like his father, he has worked throughout the world as a petroleum engineer and settled in Natchez only three years ago to begin working for Energy Drilling.

&8220;The association will bring a little of the oilfield back together in Natchez,&8221; he said. &8220;The industry is profitable again because of the high gas and oil prices.&8221;

Everyone in the industry is busy, Helbling said. &8220;This is a good way of networking. It&8217;s good for people to make their presence known.&8221;

AESC was founded in 1956 for just that reason &8212; &8220;in response to the need for common aims and solutions to common problems facing all well site service providers,&8221; the association literature says.

Helbling hopes representatives from all areas of the industry will be attracted to the association and attend the meetings, he said, as that would result in industry-wide benefits.