During its golden era, the city of Shreveport in Louisiana owed much of its
economic well being to the energy industry. Right up to the 1980s, the city
was a major player in the oil and gas industry, the home to one of the largest
oil producers and shippers in the country. This boom meant not only the growth
of the city and a lot of high paying jobs, but a healthy spin off economy as
well. Companies which paid cash for scrap gold and others were in abundance,
all making money off the oil people and their families.
In the middle of the 60's, however, the oil and gas industry in the United
States of America saw a decided downturn. Shreveport's advantageous location
next to Texas was no longer quite as appealing, as the oil producers in that
state began to take shipping and refinement concerns into their own hands. Many
of the companies and businesses in the city closed down, including several malls,
which had offered everything from stores selling women's pants to sporting
goods.
The city began to recover from this downturn in the middle of the 1990s, mostly
on the service and tourism sectors. In fact, it is known as the second largest
tourist city in the state, after New Orleans.
Today, the energy sector is once again taking a look Shreveport's way,
and the economic benefits can already be felt. The Haynesville Shale is located
within the state. Until 2008, this feature was remarkable only for those who
liked hiking and other outdoor activities as well as strange rock formations.
However, last year large deposits of natural gas were discovered under the formation,
the largest to be found in the lower 48 states in fact. While this gas would
have been risky to harvest a few years ago, advances in technology have since
made economical extraction feasible.
That meant that once again, Shreveport's fortunes were looking way up.
Companies today are rushing to be a part of the energy boom Shreveport promises.
These companies include mining and extraction based businesses as well as the
manufacturers who create their support equipment. Web slings, drilling rigs,
and safety equipment are all being developed locally.
In addition, the research and development economy of Shreveport is receiving
a kick, as electronic design and manufacturing firms seeking to be a part of
the drilling action look the way of the city. Spin off businesses created to
serve the workers in all the new industries are also coming into prominence,
so you won't find any shortage of auto dealer supply stores, shopping
centers, and restaurant chains in this new boom town.
While local headlines may tout the fact that many of the drilling projects
are a bit behind schedule, don't let them get you down. The discovery
of this natural gas deposit is the most important thing to happen to Shreveport
in a long time, and bodes well for the economy of the city for decades to come.
|