Traveling Energy Educational Program Available in the Appalachian Region

The Oilfield Energy Center (OEC) in Texas has recently completed a third mobile oilfield learning unit, MOLU III, which will be housed in Pennsylvania. This traveling exhibition is a valuable tool to teach students in grades 5-8 about science, technology, and careers related to the oil and natural gas industry through hands-on, educational activities.

While a MOLU unit has previously visited schools in the area, it was only with funding from Cabot Energy, Williams, Southwestern Energy, Shell, and Schlumberger that covered the creation of this third unit.

MOLU III is a $1 million traveling educational exhibit about energy concepts, providing six self-contained stations with curriculum-based, hands-on learning activities about oil and natural gas topics and the technologies and sciences involved with this industry. Students spend 1 ½ hours rotating through the 24 stations and the curriculum correlated to the Next General National Science Standards for grades 5-8. The MOLU can reach up to 192 students per exhibition day, with no more than 48 students rotating through the exhibit every 90 minutes.

Upon arrival at the school, the stations are wheeled from the MOLU trailer for easy set up in the school's gymnasium or common area. Pre- and post-visit materials accompany the unit for increased learning experience.  Stations cover a variety of topics and activities, such as the formation of petroleum, geology, seismicity, drilling, petroleum, oil, and natural gas products, the carbon cycle, and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) simulators.

For additional information about MOLU III, please visit the OEC website or contact Donna Wheeler at dwheeler@oceanstaroec.com or by phone at 713-840-1753.