Oil & Gas

Jennings to Host Oil Celebration with Parade and Special Activities

Did you know that Louisiana ranks first in the U.S. in crude oil production and is second in natural gas production...and, did you know that 100 years ago, on September 21, 1901, oil was first discovered in a rice field near Jennings, now known as the "cradle of Louisiana oil."

Jennings, Louisiana is located southwest of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, just about halfway between Lafayette and Lake Charles. The city has a rich history, a diversity of people, and a world-renowned fine arts museum. This weekend the city will host the state's Oil Centennial Celebration, an event well worth being apart of.

The Louisiana Oil Centennial Celebration will be held on September 22-23 in Jennings along with the 4th Annual Evangeline Oil and Gas Festival, a smaller celebration, to be held the same weekend, beginning on Friday, September 21st at St. Joseph Church in Evangeline. (As our history has recorded that in 1901, on September 21st, a farmer, Jules Clement, discovered a gas bubbling from his land in the small town of Evangeline, later oil was found there and the state's oil industry was born.)

State Commissioner of Conservation Philip Asprodites, who serves as a member of the Oil Centennial Commission, encourages all citizens across the state to take an interest in this event that recognizes the significance of oil and gas development in Louisiana. He also suggests that families and centennial participants visit the replica of Louisiana's first oil derrick which is on display at Oil Park in Jennings.

For a complete list of events on the Centennial Celebration and the Evangeline Oil and Gas Festival go to www.cityofjennings.com.

Editors: For more on this topic, contact the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation at 225-342-8955.