MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) – It’s National Petroleum Day, and the Permian Basin is celebrating in a big way, for the first time ever. An event tonight focused on how oil companies, non-profits, and community groups are working together to drive change and support local needs.
From powering America’s economy to pioneering new technology, the Permian Basin has long been at the center of the oil and gas industry. Today, the story expands with the first ever National Petroleum Day in Midland where leaders honored the industry’s past while highlighting the contributions women make every day in shaping the industry’s future.
National Petroleum Day celebrates the first commercially successful well that was drilled 166 years ago in Pennsylvania.
Today’s event showed the vital role petroleum plays in our everyday lives from powering vehicles, heating buildings, generating electricity and more.
Everyone from investors, engineers, and oilfield workers gathered to recognize the hard work done over the many years.
“National Petroleum Day is a nationwide event. So, it’s something that we want to celebrate here because this is the epicenter of the petroleum industry,” said Mickey Cargile.
One of the first women to pave the way for other women in the oil and gas industry was Sandra Shiplet.
She managed an oil company for 54 years and tonight, her hard work was recognized as she received the 2025 Heritage Award.
“I’m honored as a woman to get to get this opportunity and for a lot of other women who work in the oil and gas industry, I compliment them because we all enjoy what we do,” said Sandra Shiplet.
Because the oil and gas industry is a male dominated field, the importance of women in that space may sometimes go unnoticed.
The increase of women in the industry over the years has also created new lifelong career opportunities for a more diverse workforce.
Sandra Shiplet began her career in the 70’s. She’s now 85 and still loves what she does.
She added, “If you’re not a geologist or an engineer, you know you may not be recognized, but the people that do the work are the women.”
To honor Sandra Shiplet and the many other women that work in the oil and gas industry there will be a petroleum engineering scholarship giveaway from Midland college to benefit the young women’s leadership academy.
“God has blessed me richly, that’s all I can say. He has blessed me richly,” Shiplet said.
Industry leaders say that today is a reminder that petroleum doesn’t just fuel cars and businesses, it also fuels connections between companies and communities.
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