State Capitol the latest voluntary cleanup site

The grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol were the latest site of voluntary efforts from the people of Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas.

For 79 years, a historic oil and natural gas artifact has been located near the South Steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol. It has been an illustration of the heritage of oil and natural gas industry in Oklahoma, which has driven our economy for more than 100 years. The artifact includes equipment associated with a well from 1942 that produced more than 1.5 million barrels of oil and 1.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas. In 1986, the well was plugged and donated as a historical artifact to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

This month, the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB) partnered with Phillips 66 to remove the artifact so the space can be repurposed by the state. The work was completed at no cost to taxpayers and through voluntary funding from the people of Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas and an additional contribution from Phillips 66.

For more than 25 years, Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry has been committed to cleaning well sites left behind decades, even a century, ago.  This mission was put into motion by industry leaders in 1993 and the state remains the only one in the nation with a voluntary program of its kind. To date, the people of Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas have contributed more than $135 million to this initiative.

Working with local contractors, most of the historic sites consist of concrete and metal remnants. With an average cost of about $7,000 per site, cleanup can be cost-prohibitive for landowners, including farmers and ranchers. Thanks to today’s oil and natural gas industry, the OERB is able to restore productivity to the land at no cost to landowners.

The OERB is funded by the more than 2,500 producers and thousands of royalty owners across Oklahoma through a voluntary one-tenth of 1 percent assessment on oil and natural gas production. The mission is centered around a simple idea: empowering unlimited opportunity for all Oklahomans. From high-paying jobs to infrastructure, providing money for education, investing in our communities, restoring our land and helping lead the way to America’s energy independence, we are committed to the wellbeing and prosperity of all.

Visit OERB.com to learn more about the investment that the people of Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas are making in our state.