Scott Heywood discovered oil in Jennings on September 21, 1901, starting a new industry for Louisiana. From the heart of Acadiana, oil fever spread north to Caddo and Pine Island, south to Hackberry and Cameron, east to Barataria and Lafourche, and into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil industry created a worker class in Louisiana that had not previously existed. Towns, complete with schools, churches, and grocery stores, developed in oil fields; in fact, cabins with clothes hanging on the line to dry were adjacent to derricks and open oil pits. Today, families proudly recount the number of their generations that have worked in the "oil patch," and workers continue to contribute to a current crude oil production of nearly 200,000 barrels per day. The legacy of Louisiana's first oil fields is evident in towns like Jennings, Evangeline, Oil City, Morgan City, Lake Charles, and Cameron, and the history of that once nascent industry is a permanent part of the culture of Louisiana.

The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association is the largest trade association in Louisiana exclusively representing all aspects of the oil and gas industry including exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing. Mid-Continent has also taken an active lead in activities involving the Gulf of Mexico. Mid-Continent members are responsible for more than 90 percent of all the oil and natural gas produced and transported in and through Louisiana. Membership in Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association is open to all companies having an interest in the oil and gas industry. Contents: Oil and gas information: Louisiana oil and gas production data -- Drilling costs -- Louisiana royalty and severence tax revenues -- Parish oil and gas activity profiles -- Employment statistics -- Gasoline prices -- Economic impact study -- Refinery impact study executive summary -- Gulf of Mexico -- Pipelines -- Glossary of selected terms -- Environmental newsletter -- Louisiana Mid-continent issues and trends -- Louisiana oil and gas historical highlights -- Louisiana legislative -- Alliance for a Strong Louisiana Economy -- Louisiana oil and gas facts -- More oil and gas facts -- Links to state and federal agencies related to oil and gas activities -- Links to other trade associations and information sources -- Links to Mid-continent member companies -- Contacting the Mid-continent staff -- More about this home page.