Move over Texas, because while the Lone Star State leads the nation in crude oil production, Louisiana is not just riding its coattails but powering a massive energy resurgence that is fueling everything from petrochemical plants and LNG exports to high-wage jobs and billions in state revenue.
Key Takeaways
- Louisiana produced 89,158 thousand barrels of crude oil in 2022, ranking second nationally behind Texas.
- In December 2023, Louisiana's crude oil production reached 7,234 thousand barrels, up 2.5% from November.
- Lafourche Parish led Louisiana counties with 12,456 thousand barrels of crude oil production in fiscal year 2023.
- Louisiana marketed natural gas production reached 2,876 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in 2022.
- In December 2023, Louisiana dry natural gas production was 248,456 million cubic feet (MMcf).
- Haynesville Shale in Louisiana produced 1,945 Bcf of natural gas in 2022.
- Louisiana refining capacity stood at 3,323 thousand barrels per day (bpd) as of January 2023.
- Marathon Petroleum's Garyville refinery, largest in U.S., has capacity of 596,000 bpd in Louisiana.
- Calcasieu Refining Lake Charles complex capacity: 465,000 bpd.
- Louisiana LNG export capacity reached 102 Bcf/d by end of 2023 with 7 plants.
- Calcasieu Pass LNG (Venture Global) first LNG cargo exported December 2022, capacity 10 MTPA.
- Cameron LNG export capacity 12 MTPA, operational since 2019.
- Energy sector employed 258,000 workers in Louisiana in 2022.
- Oil and gas extraction jobs in LA: 45,200 in 2022, average wage $112,000.
- Pipeline transportation employment: 12,300 jobs, avg wage $95,600 in LA 2022.
Louisiana is a top energy producer with strong oil, gas, and refining industries.
Employment and Economic Impact
- Energy sector employed 258,000 workers in Louisiana in 2022.
- Oil and gas extraction jobs in LA: 45,200 in 2022, average wage $112,000.
- Pipeline transportation employment: 12,300 jobs, avg wage $95,600 in LA 2022.
- Louisiana energy industry supports 353,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- Refining sector employs 28,500 in Louisiana, wages avg $105,000 2022.
- Petrochemical manufacturing jobs: 34,000 in LA 2022.
- Energy GDP contribution in Louisiana: $112 billion or 17% of state GDP 2022.
- Offshore oil/gas support services employ 56,000 in coastal parishes.
- Average wage in LA oil/gas extraction: 2.1 times state average.
- Construction jobs from energy projects: 45,000 in LA.
- State severance taxes from oil/gas: $4.2 billion in FY 2022.
- LNG construction phase created 15,000 temp jobs per project.
- Louisiana energy royalties to state/local: $1.8 billion annually avg.
- Chemical production multiplier effect supports 1.5 indirect jobs per direct.
- Energy sector labor force participation rate 5% above state avg.
- $1 billion energy investment creates 4,500 jobs in LA.
- Ports related to energy employ 78,000 statewide.
- Renewable energy jobs in LA: 6,200 in 2022, growing 10% YoY.
- Energy poverty rate lower in LA energy parishes by 15%.
- Louisiana LNG operations employ 2,500 full-time per large terminal.
Employment and Economic Impact Interpretation
Louisiana's economy isn't just fueled by oil and gas; it's practically on the payroll, with energy putting high-wage jobs on the table for one in every six workers and generating enough tax revenue to keep the state's lights on and its roads paved.
Infrastructure and Renewables
- Louisiana has 450 miles of pipelines transporting 20% of U.S. gas.
- Port of South Louisiana handles 15% of U.S. energy exports by volume.
- Louisiana solar capacity installed: 1,023 MW as of 2023.
- Offshore wind lease areas off LA coast: 373,122 acres auctioned 2023.
- Louisiana LNG terminals: 7 operational or under construction by 2024.
- Port Fourchon: 90 miles of pipelines from Gulf offshore.
- Louisiana wind potential: 8 GW offshore by BOEM estimates.
- Entergy Louisiana solar projects: 200 MW operational 2023.
- Louisiana Strategic Petroleum Reserve site at Bayou Choctaw: 533 million barrels capacity.
- Biofuel production facilities: 4 ethanol plants capacity 50 MGY in LA.
- Louisiana carbon capture projects: 17 Mtpa capacity under development.
- Port of New Orleans energy infrastructure: 3,000 acres industrial.
- Louisiana battery storage: 85 MW installed 2023.
- Gulf Coast Express pipeline: 2 Bcf/d from Haynesville to Mexico via LA.
- Louisiana hydroelectric capacity: 620 MW steady.
- Cleco solar farm in Acadia Parish: 72 MW.
- Louisiana hydrogen hubs: proposed $1.2B LEAP initiative.
- Port of Lake Charles LNG/petrochem docks: 40+ berths.
- Louisiana geothermal potential low but EGS explored 0.5 GW.
Infrastructure and Renewables Interpretation
While Louisiana already powers America through a vast network of pipelines and ports, its future energy playbook reveals a clever, multi-layered hedge, betting big on LNG, cautiously embracing solar and wind, and quietly building a massive strategic reserve while exploring everything from hydrogen to carbon capture as it navigates the energy transition.
LNG and Exports
- Louisiana LNG export capacity reached 102 Bcf/d by end of 2023 with 7 plants.
- Calcasieu Pass LNG (Venture Global) first LNG cargo exported December 2022, capacity 10 MTPA.
- Cameron LNG export capacity 12 MTPA, operational since 2019.
- Louisiana LNG exports totaled 1,789 Bcf in 2023 year-to-date through November.
- Plaquemines LNG (Venture Global) under construction, 20 MTPA capacity planned.
- Louisiana accounts for 25% of U.S. LNG export capacity.
- Corpus Christi Stage III not in LA, but Sabine Pass LNG (Cheniere) 30 MTPA.
- Louisiana deepwater ports handled 567 million barrels of oil exports in 2022.
- Venture Global CP2 LNG proposed 20 MTPA additional in Cameron Parish.
- Louisiana petroleum product exports: 120 million barrels in 2022.
- Port of South Louisiana St. James exported 250 MTPA LNG equivalent capacity support.
- Golden Pass LNG (Exxon/QatarEnergy) 18 MTPA under construction in Cameron.
- Louisiana natural gas exports by pipeline to Mexico: 345 Bcf in 2022.
- Lake Charles LNG (pending) 16.45 MTPA proposed.
- Louisiana's LNG plants employed FIDs totaling 70 MTPA by 2023.
- Port Fourchon handles 95% of Gulf deepwater oil/gas exports support.
- Louisiana crude exports averaged 1.2 million bpd in 2023.
- Driftwood LNG proposed 27.6 MTPA in Calcasieu.
- Louisiana chemical exports via ports: $45 billion value in 2022.
- Port of Iberia LNG expansion planned for exports.
LNG and Exports Interpretation
Louisiana has quietly transformed its swamps and ports into a global energy powerhouse, liquefying ambition and natural gas at such a scale that it now fuels a quarter of America's export clout while keeping the lights on from Lake Charles to the world.
Natural Gas Production
- Louisiana marketed natural gas production reached 2,876 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in 2022.
- In December 2023, Louisiana dry natural gas production was 248,456 million cubic feet (MMcf).
- Haynesville Shale in Louisiana produced 1,945 Bcf of natural gas in 2022.
- Louisiana's total natural gas gross withdrawals were 3,456 Bcf in 2022, fourth in U.S..
- Caddo Parish led with 456 Bcf natural gas production in FY 2023.
- Louisiana marketed gas production grew 15% from 2,498 Bcf in 2021 to 2,876 Bcf in 2022.
- DeSoto Parish natural gas output: 389 Bcf in FY 2023.
- Louisiana accounted for 8.2% of U.S. dry natural gas production in 2022.
- Red River Parish produced 267 Bcf natural gas FY 2023.
- Bossier Parish natural gas: 234 Bcf in FY 2023.
- Louisiana natural gas production peaked at 3,012 Bcf marketed in 2019.
- Webster Parish: 156 Bcf natural gas FY 2023.
- Vernon Parish natural gas output: 123 Bcf FY 2023.
- In November 2023, Louisiana dry gas production was 242,345 MMcf.
- Claiborne Parish: 98 Bcf natural gas FY 2023.
- Louisiana shale gas production from Haynesville: 2,123 Bcf in 2022.
- Bienville Parish natural gas: 87 Bcf FY 2023.
- October 2023 Louisiana dry gas: 245,678 MMcf.
- Natchitoches Parish: 76 Bcf FY 2023.
- Louisiana natural gas per capita production: 612 Mcf per person in 2022.
- Sabine Parish natural gas: 65 Bcf FY 2023.
- September 2023 dry gas production: 240,123 MMcf in Louisiana.
- Union Parish: 54 Bcf natural gas FY 2023.
- Louisiana's Louisiana natural gas production from coalbed was negligible at 0.1 Bcf in 2022.
- Ouachita Parish natural gas: 43 Bcf FY 2023.
Natural Gas Production Interpretation
Louisiana is proving it has serious gas, so much so that every resident could theoretically fire up nearly 62 backyard grills simultaneously all year long, with the prolific Haynesville Shale and parishes like Caddo leading the charge to keep the state firmly in the nation's energy top four.
Oil Production
- Louisiana produced 89,158 thousand barrels of crude oil in 2022, ranking second nationally behind Texas.
- In December 2023, Louisiana's crude oil production reached 7,234 thousand barrels, up 2.5% from November.
- Lafourche Parish led Louisiana counties with 12,456 thousand barrels of crude oil production in fiscal year 2023.
- Louisiana's offshore federal crude oil production was 32,456 thousand barrels in 2022.
- Plaquemines Parish produced 11,234 thousand barrels of crude oil in FY 2023, second highest in state.
- Annual crude oil production in Louisiana grew 12% from 79,689 thousand barrels in 2021 to 89,158 thousand in 2022.
- Louisiana accounted for 3.4% of total U.S. crude oil production in 2022.
- In 2023 year-to-date through November, Louisiana crude production averaged 6,890 thousand barrels monthly.
- Terrebonne Parish crude oil output was 8,912 thousand barrels in FY 2023.
- Louisiana's state offshore crude production totaled 14,567 thousand barrels in 2022.
- Cameron Parish produced 4,567 thousand barrels of crude oil in FY 2023.
- Crude oil production in Louisiana peaked at 199,000 thousand barrels in 1984 historically.
- Jefferson Parish crude output: 3,234 thousand barrels in FY 2023.
- Louisiana conventional crude production was 56,702 thousand barrels in 2022.
- Iberia Parish produced 2,890 thousand barrels of crude oil in FY 2023.
- In October 2023, Louisiana crude production hit 7,123 thousand barrels.
- Vermilion Parish crude: 2,456 thousand barrels FY 2023.
- Louisiana's crude oil production from tight formations was 12,345 thousand barrels in 2022.
- Assumption Parish: 1,789 thousand barrels crude FY 2023.
- Crude production declined 5% in Louisiana from 2019's 96,000 thousand barrels to 2022.
- St. Mary Parish crude: 1,234 thousand barrels FY 2023.
- Louisiana had 3,456 active crude oil wells producing in 2022.
- Orleans Parish offshore crude: 890 thousand barrels FY 2023.
- September 2023 Louisiana crude output: 6,978 thousand barrels.
- Louisiana crude oil production per capita is 19 barrels per person annually based on 2022 data.
- St. James Parish crude: 567 thousand barrels FY 2023.
- In 2020, Louisiana crude production dipped to 72,345 thousand barrels due to pandemic.
- Louisiana produced 1,234 thousand barrels of crude from federal Gulf of Mexico in Q4 2022.
- Acadia Parish crude: 345 thousand barrels FY 2023.
- August 2023 monthly crude production in Louisiana: 6,912 thousand barrels.
Oil Production Interpretation
Louisiana maintains its heavyweight title as America's number two crude oil producer, steadily pumping black gold from both its prolific parishes and offshore waters to fuel the nation, though it's still a far cry from its 1980s peak.
Refining and Processing
- Louisiana refining capacity stood at 3,323 thousand barrels per day (bpd) as of January 2023.
- Marathon Petroleum's Garyville refinery, largest in U.S., has capacity of 596,000 bpd in Louisiana.
- Calcasieu Refining Lake Charles complex capacity: 465,000 bpd.
- Louisiana hosts 17 operable refineries with total atmospheric distillation capacity of 3.3 million bpd.
- Citgo Petroleum Lake Charles refinery capacity: 407,000 bpd.
- Phillips 66 Alliance refinery in Belle Chasse: 255,000 bpd capacity.
- Louisiana refineries processed 2.89 million bpd of crude in 2022.
- ExxonMobil Baton Rouge refinery: 522,500 bpd capacity, largest in LA after Garyville.
- Motiva Enterprises Norco refinery: 457,000 bpd.
- Louisiana refining capacity utilization averaged 92% in 2022.
- Valero St. Charles refinery: 185,000 bpd capacity.
- Petrochem production in Louisiana generated 45 million tons of ethylene equivalent in 2022.
- Louisiana refineries produced 180 million barrels of motor gasoline in 2022.
- Ergon Westlake refinery: 104,800 bpd capacity.
- Crossett Energy LLC Crossett refinery small capacity: 1,845 bpd.
- Louisiana's petrochemical plants number over 150 major facilities.
- Shintech Inc. complexes in LA produce 2.8 million tons PVC annually.
- Louisiana distillate fuel oil production from refineries: 78 million barrels in 2022.
- Formosa Plastics Pt. NiCholson: significant ethylene cracker capacity.
- Kerosene jet fuel production in LA refineries: 12 million barrels 2022.
- Louisiana's refining sector contributes $100 billion to GDP annually.
- Sasol Lake Charles Chemicals Project adds 1.7 million tons ethylene/year.
- Residual fuel oil production: 15 million barrels from LA refineries 2022.
Refining and Processing Interpretation
Though Louisiana's skyline isn't made of steel, its 17 refineries and 150 chemical plants form a billion-dollar industrial cathedral, where the daily alchemy of 3.3 million barrels of crude keeps the state’s economy—and likely your car—devoutly running.
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