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Energy Corridors of Houston

By: Michele Marano
| Published 09/22/2014

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One of the first questions asked to our energy clients who have moved from around the country or overseas to work in Houston is, 'Whom do you work with and where is your office located?” The answers vary in energy companies, locations are narrowed to a few, but the common denominator in all is a discussion about the Energy Corridor.

Where Energy Professionals Call Home


Having seen Houston grow from a city flourished by oil and gas to a city that is a now a dominant energy location around the world, I often consider Houston itself as the energy corridor. More commonly referred to as the Energy Capital of the World, Houston is defined by specific industries, energy being the main.

What is known to most as the “Energy Corridor,” be a specific part of Houston technically defined as the 'Energy Corridor District.' The area consists of commercial land, corporations, and a lux of high-rise office towers, no different than other parts of Houston. Conoco and BP both have a campus in this area and much additional energy related companies span Interstate 1-10 west and along the Beltway for many miles heading north. One can imagine why this area is considered an energy corridor, but aren't other areas of Houston just as saturated with energy companies?

It would seem more likely the definition of “Energy Corridor” would be, “A location in or around Houston that is heavily populated by energy businesses and is surrounded by neighboring communities which accommodate lifestyles of those who work in that area.”

For example, downtown Houston serves as a home to many energy businesses. Chevron and Shell are both headquartered in Houston, and companies like Vitol and Total hold some of their largest operations here. In addition, Downtown provides many residential options and is located a short distance to some of the most attractive surrounding neighborhoods that accommodate lifestyles and homes to many. People who work downtown prefer to live in surrounding areas like Midtown, River Oaks, Washington Blvd, Heights, Rice Military and West University when vying for a convenient commute and a housing price that fits within their means.

The Galleria is another area dominated by energy companies. Schlumberger and Marathon have huge footprints on San Felipe as well as Apache Corp located on Post Oak Blvd. In addition, other companies not as visible but with national headquarters like SUEZ and Osaka, the Japanese utility company, hold operations in the Galleria. Real Estate in the Galleria caters to the employer who is transit; wants to live blocks from work, and who is custom to high-rise, lock-n-leave lifestyle. Housing options span from luxury rental towers to a number of condominium choices that range in prices from under a million to multi-millions.

One of the most obvious locations I would consider an energy corridor is the The Woodlands. ExxonMobil’s campus, which will soon accommodate 10,000 employees, (http://cdn.exxonmobil.com/) spans across 385 acres. The Woodlands is also home to many other large energy companies such as Anadarko Petroleum, Repsol Services (an arm of the National Oil Co. of Spain) and Newfield Exploration Company.

Houston itself is an energy corridor and when our energy clients come to us looking for a new residence we know within minutes which corridor of Houston will become their home.

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