Louisiana’s Oily History

Because of its prime geographical location, Louisiana has been one of the United States’ most productive areas of oil production, with its first attempt at oil discovery dating back a century and a half. This first dig proved unsuccessful, however, the promise of untold riches and energy independence proved too strong a pull for early exploration to be so easily thwarted. The first oil field discovered that proved to be commercially viable for production occurred in 1901, the Heywood well, and can be seen as the jumping off point for the many years of oil production to come.

Rivers and large bodies of water have always been the lifelines for civilization, and the massive mother of all U.S. rivers, the Mississippi River is no different. Cutting a large swath through the middle of the United States, the Mississippi brings with it tons upon tons of sediment, rich with decaying plant and animal matter, depositing them at her massive mouth at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. Hydrocarbons form as bacteria combines with the molecules of dead animal and plant matter; the results of the mighty Mississippi’s centuries, even millennia of hard work can be seen in these huge deposits of sediment that have been mounded and compacted into the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico. The pressure created by years upon years of pounding and pounding have created a veritable hotbed of hydrocarbon production, and where hydrocarbons exist, oil and natural gas supplies are present for extraction. Geologists employed by oil exploration outfits like observed these advantageous, naturally-occurring conditions, and several large drilling platforms were erected off Louisiana’s shore in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1940’s in hopes of capitalizing upon the oil deposits, both for economic boost to the state of Louisiana as well as providing energy for the millions of United States’ inhabitants.

Louisiana’s oil industry began to flourish with it reaching its peak production numbers of over 725 million barrels in 1969. Louisianan reserves have experienced a slight decline since then, however, new efforts employed in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of new congressional allowances have motivated an oil production renaissance with an increase in production since 1996. Some estimates show that Louisiana’s yields could increase by at least 33 percent in the next 20 years, allowing for large profits for this state that has been in dire need of economic boosting since the horrible havoc wrecked by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Oil outfitters like Triple Diamond Energy Corp will surely be available to help with the harvest of this oily bounty. Louisiana will undoubtedly continue to remain as one of the United States’ most important states in terms of oil production for many years to come.

About the Author: Robert Jent is the president of Triple Diamond Energy Corp. Triple Diamond Energy specializes in acquiring the highest quality prime oil and gas properties. For more information, visit www.triplediamondenergycorp.blogspot.com.