Introduction

For more than a century, spatial structures and functions have been shaped by the availability of cheap fossil energy, especially petroleum and its derivatives. One region that has been and continues to be particularly shaped by the extraction of hydrocarbons (not just oil, but increasingly also natural gas) is the state of Louisiana in the United States of America. With a population of 4.6 million and a 1.4 percent share of the national population, Louisiana ranks third among the states in terms of natural gas production and proven reserves.