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Background
In 2022, Oil City, Pennsylvania-native and former Drake Well intern Andrew J. Tabler visited Azerbaijan and its first oil well at Bibi-Heybat. That led Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the United States, Khazar Ibrahim, to visit Pennsylvania's Oil Heritage Region. This established first-ever connections between the two basins of the world's “first” modern oil wells. It also sparked a wider discussion over the best ways to address America and the world’s current energy and climate dilemmas.
The Conference
Back to the Future
Now the Drake Energy Security Forum - a grass-roots non-profit initiative of Pennsylvania Oil Heritage region residents and natives - is spearheading an effort with local non-profits to put the community at the center of the global energy and climate debate. The Forum hosts an annual Energy & Climate Security Conference to debate the lessons of energy's past, and how they can help America and the World chart a course toward a sustainable and prosperous future.
Before the pandemic, such meetings would always take place in Houston or London – almost never in the American heartland.
With a long afternoon drive from New York City or Washington, DC now often preferable to the chaos of air travel, the energy history and natural beauty of Northwest Pennsylvania every October serves as a perfect retreat for energy and climate experts to quietly discuss the growing nexus between energy and national security.
Energy Transition
Mother nature has taken back with vigor the environmental disaster that once beset the Oil Creek Valley - now home to a beautiful state park featuring one of Pennsylvania's best trout streams. The conference will delve into the area's long environmental recovery efforts, including a number of creative low carbon solutions that today serve as the foundation of the area's economic revitalization. Come stay a few extra days with us!
Heritage
The Oil Region National Heritage Area consists of all of Venango County, Pennsylvania, including the cities of Emlenton, Oil City, and Franklin, and Titusville, Hydetown Borough, and Oil Creek Township in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The area is rich with oil heritage, outdoor recreation opportunities, 19th Century Victorian architecture, and a vibrant local arts scene. Conference events take place in Titusville, Oil City, and Franklin, Pennsylvania.
Drake Well Museum & Park
Victorian Architecture
Autumn in Oil City, Pennsylvania
Historic Sites and State Parks
Fly Fishing on Oil Creek
Kayaking on the Allegheny River
Freedom Falls Iron Furnace, Kennerdell, Pennsylvania
Rockland Tunnel, Allegheny River Trail
Collaborative Partners
The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce
Committed to building a strong local economy, while strengthening, enhancing and protecting all business in the oil region.
The Chamber was founded in 2005, following a consolidation of the Cranberry Business and Professional Association and the Oil City Area Chamber of Commerce. Major areas of Chamber focus include education, business advocacy, leadership, and young professional development.
The membership of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce represents the entire community with members from business and industry, private associations, civic organizations, home based businesses, social service agencies, education, government, and individuals. Over 450 member firms, representing over 2,000 individuals, believe Chamber membership is one of the best ways to help develop jobs in our community and grow their businesses!
Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry, and Tourism (ORA)
Formed through the merger of four non-profits in 2005, the Alliance combines their roles into a unified mission to promote the region’s historic, tourism, community and economic development interests.
ORA's mission is to manage the Oil Region National Heritage Area and to increase the prosperity of the Oil Region by enticing people to live, work, learn and play in “the Valley that Changed the World” through the preservation, promotion, development, and support of historical, educational, natural, recreational, residential, commercial and industrial destinations.
ORA has been designated by federal legislation as the administrator of the Oil Region National Heritage Area. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has further designated ORA as the official tourist promotion agency serving Venango County, and the administrator of the Pennsylvania Oil Region Heritage Park. These dual designations enable ORA to tap multiple public and private resources to package assistance to achieve the corporate mission.