Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and Sustainable Energy Industries

For more than a century, Louisiana has proudly served as a hub of the energy industry. And now, with a renewed focus on customer service and process efficiency, the industry's future is even brighter. Still, we recognize you have a choice about where to invest. So Louisiana has streamlined the permitting and leasing processes and reformed liability issues to maximize your investment. Doing business in Louisiana is one of the smartest investments you can make.

Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2008

At OTC 2008, Louisiana Economic Development hosted an impressive speaker's bureau at the Louisiana booth, allowing industry leaders to share their experiences and insider tips about the oil and gas industry. To view their presentations, please click on the company's name below.

Louisiana Economic Development
Moreno Group, LLC
LLOG Exploration
Tulane Energy Institute
Bayou Bend Petroleum

Oil & Gas

Including offshore production, Louisiana is the number one producer of crude oil and the number two producer of natural gas among the 50 states. The oil & gas industry is a giant economic engine for Louisiana's economy, supporting $70.2 billion in sales for Louisiana firms (Louisiana Mid-Continent Study, 2007).

The oil & gas industry also provides an enormous number of jobs for the growing Louisiana workforce. Through direct and indirect multipliers, the Louisiana Mid Continent Oil & Gas Association reports the extraction, refining and pipeline industries generated over $12.7 billion in household for Louisiana and supported 320,280 jobs in 2005. Energy jobs are found in all of Louisiana's 64 parishes.

From the first well in the early 1900s, to the first offshore platform in the 1940s, to the deepest sub-sea production system in the world in 2002, Louisiana has been at the forefront of technical innovation in the energy business. Further technical advances are expected to improve Louisiana's position as one of the nation's leading hydrocarbon producers.

Oil & Gas Quick Facts:

Louisiana Leads the Way

Louisiana's academic community is helping to train one of America's most productive (4th highest GSP/capita) workforces focused on the energy business. The Center for Petroleum Workforce Development in Robert, La., is the result of a joint venture among the State, Louisiana State University and Shell Oil Company. Oil companies can hire and send employees from across the world to the Shell/LSU facility for the highest level of training. 

The Board of Regents website links to our technical colleges, community colleges and four-year institutions with such energy industry-focused programs as the LSU School of Energy Studies, ULL Energy Institute and UNO School of Energy Conservation & Management.

For more information on Louisiana's oil & gas industry, click here to download a copy of LED's brochure, Oil & Gas Industry of Louisiana: Exploration and Production.

Petrochemical

With 90 chemical plants, Louisiana is a major supplier of basic organic and petrochemicals to the nation. The state is also home to more than 70 petrochemical manufacturers, with 100 sites directly employing 27,000 skilled and ready workers.

Louisiana has the necessary infrastructure for world-class manufacturers combined with the service providers needed to succeed. More than 1,000 service companies in Louisiana have a substantial portion of their business in the petrochemical industry.

Louisiana works in partnership with industry to provide a dedicated petrochemical operations curriculum in the technical college system. We developed this two-year associate's degree in Petroleum Technology - also known as PTEC - with significant industry support and input. PTEC prepares future workers with the skills needed in the petrochemical industry. As an expanding part of the PTEC program, the state recently opened three "glass labs" at campuses in Lake Charles, Reserve and Baton Rouge that allow students to experience actual chemical processes in a classroom setting. These labs are complete with integrated process control systems and control room environments to simulate the manufacturing environment. We are also completing two 40-foot trailers that will allow on- and off-site training for maintenance and instrumentation plant workers.

Louisiana companies are leaders in environmental responsibility. In the past 10 years, Louisiana's companies have reduced emissions by over 80 percent, compared to a national average of 58 percent. A Louisiana company recently developed the only viable alternative to HCFC-141b, the fluorocarbon currently being phased out by the EPA. Louisiana is also home to the cleanest refinery in the world.

Sustainable Energy

Louisiana is home to five Liquid Natural Gas facilities operational or under construction, and two more are proposed. Louisiana is also a player in such sustainable energy initiatives as LPG, lignite,biofuel, wind and greenfield refineries. For additional information on the biofuel industry in Louisiana, click here.

The potential use of Lignite and Petcoke for Louisiana Electric Power Generation
A Study By Louisiana Economic Development and Tulane University's Entergy-Tulane Energy Institute

Lousiana is a proven innovator in the energy industry, and we will continue this tradition. For more information, please contact:

Dane Revette
Director, Energy
225-342-5368
revette@la.gov

Available Incentive Programs

Additional Resources