The balance of these funds contributes to roads, schools, recreation facilities and other costs of government. Names like Mabee, Warren, Kirkpatrick and Sarkey have made mammoth contributions to our state, especially in education. In these oceans lived tiny plants and animals. When the plants and animals died, they sank to the bottom of the ocean where they were buried by sand and silt. The petroleum that we use today is the remains of those tiny plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
Petroleum is one of Oklahoma's greatest resources.
It is produced in 70 of Oklahoma's 77 counties. But before this petroleum can be used, it must first go through a process called refining. Oklahoma has five oil refineries and 73 natural gas processing plants. Through refining, oil is heated until it separates into many different parts. These parts are then used to make products like gasoline, jet fuel, heating fuel, tar and plastics.