Oklahoma lawmakers got an up-close look at Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry when the OIPA-OKOGA hosted a production tour that featured stops at Halliburton’s El Reno facility and a production site and drilling location in the STACK.

The event was sponsored by member companies Marathon Oil, Cimarex and Halliburton.

Approximately 20 lawmakers and state officials took part in the tour that offered an overview of the drilling, hydraulic fracturing and production practices that have made the Sooner State a national leader in oil and natural gas development.

“This is an opportunity to give policy makers a better understanding of what the oil and natural gas industry is,” OIPA-OKOGA President Chad Warmington said. “But it’s also an opportunity for them to see the hard work and talent this industry utilizes to power our economy.”

Participants in the tour included Secretary of Energy and Environment Ken Wagner, House Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Terry O’Donnell and Vice-Chairman Trey Caldwell, and Senate Energy Committee Chairman Mark Allen in addition to newly-elected and returning state lawmakers and staff members from the Office of the Secretary of Energy & Environment.

Combined with the Oil and Gas and Agriculture New Member Bootcamp for freshman lawmakers held on January 15, approximately 50 Oklahoma lawmakers have participated in OIPA-OKOGA events designed to educate lawmakers about the industry.

“Continued education is key to success at the legislature,” OIPA-OKOGA Vice President of Governmental Affairs Zack Lee said. “With the vast majority of state lawmakers having no more than two years of experience in the legislature, it is imperative that we continue to offer them opportunities to better understand our industry, the important role it plays in the state and the impact the legislation they approve can have.”