The Story Beneath the Surface
History of
Kern Oil
Over 150 years of discovery, boom, struggle, and resilience — the history of oil in Kern County is the history of California itself.
150+
Years of oil production in Kern County
~20,000
Direct oil & gas jobs in Kern County
$3B+
Annual economic impact of oil in the region
70%
Share of California's oil from Kern County
Why This Story Matters
A Legacy Written in Black Gold
Kern County sits in the southern end of California's San Joaquin Valley, and beneath its sun-baked hills lies one of the most productive oil-bearing formations in North America. For more than 150 years, the people of this region have built their lives, their families, and their communities around the extraction of that resource.
“Kern County stands tall amidst the golden fields, but beneath the surface, a story is not being told.”
The Kern Oil documentary was made to preserve that story — to give voice to the workers, families, and communities whose lives are intertwined with the oil beneath their feet, and to ensure their history is not lost in the noise of political debate.
1860s – 1890s
1876
First commercial California oil well
The First Discoveries
Long before the derricks rose above the valley floor, the Yokuts people knew of the dark seeps that bubbled up from the earth in what would become Kern County. Early settlers and prospectors took note, and by the 1860s the first exploratory wells were being sunk into the San Joaquin Valley. The discovery of oil near Pico Canyon in 1876 — one of the first commercially productive wells in California — signaled that something enormous lay beneath the golden hills.
1900s – 1940s
#1
California ranked top U.S. oil producer in the 1920s
The Great Boom
The early twentieth century transformed Kern County beyond recognition. Major strikes at Midway-Sunset, Elk Hills, and Kern River turned sleepy agricultural communities into boomtowns almost overnight. Roughnecks, drillers, and their families poured in from across the country. By the 1920s, California was producing more oil than any other state in the nation — and Kern County sat at the center of it all. The industry built roads, schools, and entire neighborhoods. The smell of crude became the smell of prosperity.
1950s – 1990s
3rd
Kern County ranks among top U.S. oil-producing counties today
Industry, Identity & Regulation
The post-war decades brought both expansion and complexity. Kern County's oil fields continued to produce at scale, fueling California's explosive growth in population and infrastructure. But the latter half of the century also brought new environmental awareness, federal regulation, and the first serious debates about the long-term future of fossil fuel extraction. For the families who had worked the fields for generations, these were not abstract policy debates — they were questions about livelihoods, identity, and the survival of entire communities.
2000s – Present
70%
Of California's oil produced in Kern County
A Community at a Crossroads
Today, Kern County produces roughly 70% of California's oil and natural gas — yet the industry faces mounting political and regulatory pressure from Sacramento. For the workers, families, and small businesses whose lives are built around oil, the stakes could not be higher. Thousands of jobs, generations of expertise, and the economic foundation of entire towns hang in the balance. It is this tension — between a proud industrial heritage and an uncertain future — that lies at the heart of the Kern Oil documentary.
The Human Story
More Than an Industry
Behind every barrel of oil is a person. A roughneck who learned the trade from his father. A mother who raised her children on a salary earned in the fields. A small business owner whose customers are the men and women who work the rigs. Oil in Kern County is not just an economic sector — it is a culture, a community, and a way of life that spans generations.
The Kern Oil documentary was built on interviews with these people — their words, their memories, and their hopes for the future. Their stories deserve to be heard, preserved, and shared with the world.
Keep the Story Alive
Support Kern Oil
Help us continue sharing the history and future of Kern County's oil industry with audiences across California and beyond.