For the first 83 of those years, this country ran on wood, whale oil, and muscle. Then in 1859 a crew in Pennsylvania drilled 69 feet down and hit oil. Every barrel since has come out of the ground because somebody put their hands on iron.

Today the United States produces 13.6 million barrels a day...more crude than any nation in the history of the world. That record wasn't set in Washington. It was set by drillers, roughnecks, wireline hands, pumpers, frac crews, and the truck drivers hauling it all.

While the grills fire up and the fireworks load tonight, there are crews on location right now. Holding pressure. Turning to the right. Hauling water on washboard roads. The 4th of July doesn't shut a well in.

56 men signed the Declaration. 250 years later, the country they started runs on the hands still signing JSAs on a holiday.

Happy 250th, America.

If you're on location today...drop your basin and what you're running. The field checks in even on the 4th.