By dint of fate or good fortune, the Gulf of Mexico has a large share of the country's known offshore oil and gas resources and had a head start in developing those resources. The offshore oil industry developed locally much of the technology needed to push further into the Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the world insearch of energy resources. This included the many support industries that service offshore oil exploration, development, and production. The region developed support systems in terms of community infrastructure. Many local residents developed or adapted job skills to the industry's needs.