Offshore drilling exhibit set up at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Learn about the history, pioneers and technological advances of the offshore drilling industry at a new interactive exhibit “Offshore Drilling: The Promise of Discovery” on display March 31, 2014 through Feb. 1, 2015 at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University.

The exhibit focuses on the history, current developments and future of offshore drilling, with an emphasis on the work of George Bush, emerging technologies and ongoing research at Texas A&M University.

“President Bush was an entrepreneurial Texas oilman, first in Midland-Odessa then later in Houston and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. This exhibit is an ambitious undertaking for our museum and staff, reflecting the ambition and enormous scale of the offshore industry itself,” said Bush Library and Museum Director Warren Finch.

With Shell as title sponsor and supporting sponsorships from Ensco, Schlumberger, Move Resource Group and the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, the exhibit covers all aspects of the search for oil offshore, with a special look at the geology of finding oil, focusing on exploration of the Gulf of Mexico. Industry pioneers recount their personal experiences. Visitors will be taken from start to finish — developing the “play” to platform production — via an interactive display.
“The offshore oil and gas industry has gone from zero to 10,000 feet of water depth in the past 100 years, a journey full of amazing achievements by courageous individuals and organizations committed to bringing us energy to run our daily lives,” said John Hollowell, Executive Vice President for Deep Water, Shell Upstream Americas. “We’re honored to help sponsor this inspiring exhibit that showcases our journey from humble beginnings all the way to today’s technologically sophisticated deepwater industry.”

Expertise for the exhibit has been provided by partnerships with The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum; Texas A&M University through the College of Geosciences, Petroleum Engineering, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, Department of Oceanography and Offshore Technology Research; LeTourneau University and PennWell; and 20 lenders from industry.

Industry experts and guest speakers will highlight various aspects of offshore drilling at monthly issues forums at the library and museum. For more information about the “Offshore Drilling: The Promise of Discovery” exhibit go to bushlibrary.tamu.edu/offshore.

Located on the campus of Texas A&M University – a premier public Tier 1 research university home to more than 50,000 students – the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is part of the National Archives and Records Administration’s Presidential Libraries system. For more information go to bushlibrary.tamu.edu.