Updated research and articles about the histories of old oil company stock and petroleum company histories.
Found an old oil company stock certificate and hoping for a petroleum financial gusher?
The American Oil & Gas Historical Society’s research and accompanying forum depend upon your individual financial support. The historical society is an independent, energy education organization — unaffiliated with upstream or downstream petroleum companies, state or federal government, or industry advocacy groups.
A petroleum company’s old oil stock certificate vignette sometimes has value for collectors of scripophily – the buying and selling of certificates after they have no redeemable value as a security.
Although use of fossil fuels today is highly controversial, the history of U.S. petroleum exploration, production, and transportation provides context for modern energy debates.
From 19th-century kerosene for lamps, 20th-century gasoline for cars, and modern plastic polymers for everyday products, the petroleum industry’s huge social, economic and technological heritage should be preserved.
A Popular Vignette
Collectors have found a surprising number of examples where quickly formed exploration companies picked the exact same oilfield scene for stock certificates.
In the rush to print stock certificates during oil booms, new companies often chose to print certificates using a vignette of derricks!
It might have saved time and money by choosing a common vignette today found on shares of Centralized Oil & Gas Company; Double Standard Oil & Gas Company; Evangeline Oil Company; Texas Production Company; Tulsa Producing and Refining Company; Hecla-Wyoming Oil Company; Oil Prospectors Inc.; Craven Oil & Refining; Buck Run Oil and Refining; Home Oil & Gas; Hog Creek Carruth Company; Buffalo-Texas Oil Company; and the Champion Oil Company (see links to them below).
Can you tell me anything about this old petroleum company (for free)? I found its stock certificate in an attic. Am I rich? Probably not. Since first commercial U.S. oil well in 1859, the petroleum industry’s boom and bust cycles have left many casualties.
The vast majority of old oil stock certificates (especially prior to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), simply become family mementos — and not connected to any modern company. For one that led to extended court battles, see Not a Millionaire from Old Oil Stock.
America’s first oil company – the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company of New York – organized it 1855.
Unfortunately, this small historical society cannot grant requests for free research regarding individual company histories and the potential value of stock certificates. As you may have discovered, financial research is difficult and time consuming. If you are fortunate, a visitor to this website or a society volunteer may have posted helpful information.
If your certificate is not listed here, and to share further research experiences, you are invited to submit your query in the current Stock Certificate Q&A Forum.
Below is research submitted by a leading volunteer of the American Oil & Gas Historical Society. The company histories presented often tell fascinating stories – and are exclusive of the Stock Certificate Q&A forum posts also on this website. Check back here for more of these rare histories.
Latest Research – Updated November 2024
A
Acme Oil & Gas Company*
Alabama Central Oil & Gas Company*
Admiral Oil Company
Aetna Petroleum Corporation
Ajax Oil Company
Alaska Dakota Development Company
Alaska Oil & Gas Development Company
Aladin Oil & Refining Company
Albany-Decatur Oil & Gas Company
Allied Oil Corporation
Alto Gasoline & Oil Company*
Amalgamated Oil Company*
American-Asiatic Oil Corporation
American Controlled Oilfields
American Indian Oil & Gas Company
American Leduc Petroleum
American Oil Refinery
American Oil & Refining Company*
American Producing & Refining Company
American Industrial Oil Company
American Workers Oil Field Company*
Anglo-Philippine Oil & Mineral Corporation*
Anna May Oil Company*
Anchorage Gas & Oil Development
Anglo-American Oil Company
Apex Oil Company
Arizona Development Company*
Arkadelphia Oil Company*
Arkansas Oil Ventures
Associated Oil & Gas Company*
Atlantic Petroleum Company*
* Research in Progress
B
Badger Oil & Gas Company*
Bailey Gaunce Oil & Refining Corporation*
Barrington Oil Company
Beaumont Confederated Oil & Pipe Line Company
Big Indian Oil & Development Company
Big Six Oil Company*
Black Gold Petroleum Company*
Black Hills Petroleum Company
Block Oil & Gas Syndicate*
Blue Ridge Natural Gas & Oil Corporation*
Bluebird Oil & Gas Association*
Boulder Petroleum Company
Buck Run Oil and Refining Company
Buffalo Oil Company
Buffalo-Texas Oil Company
Bug Drilling Company*
Burkburnett-Center Oil Company*
Burkburnett-Claiborne Oil Company*
Burk Imperial Oil Company*
Burk-Tex Production Company*
Busseyville Oil & Gas*
Butler Perryman Interests*
* Research in Progress
C
Cahege Oil & Gas Company
California-Alaska Petroleum Company*
California Commercial Refining Company*
California Oil & Gas Company
California-Ventura Oil Company
Capital Oil and Gas Company*
Capital Oil & Natural Gas Company Limited*
Capitol Petroleum Company
Capitol Petroleum Transportation Company*
Cauble Oil Company
Centennial Petroleum, Inc.*
Central Oil Shale Refining Company
Central Oils Inc.
Central Oklahoma Oil Corporation*
Central Pennsylvania Oil Company
Centralized Oil & Gas Company
Cherokee Oil and Gas Company
Chester County Oil Company*
Cheyenne Oil Company*
Chickaloon Oil Company
Chieftain Royalties
Champion Oil Company
Choate Oil Corporation*
Choctaw Oil & Refining Company*
Cities Service Company
Clark Producing & Refining Company
Clayton Oil Company*
Clinton Natural Gas & Oil Company*
Columbian Refining Company*
Conejo Hills Oil Company
Congressional Oil Corporation
Consolidated Oil & Gas Company*
Consolidated Oil Company of Texas*
Consolidated Petroleum Company
Consolidated Texas Production Company*
Constant Oil Company*
Continental Oil and Refining Company
Continental Petroleum Company
Common Oil & Development Company*
Corpus-Burk Oil Company
Cow Creek Oil Company*
Craven Oil & Refining Company
Crystal Oil Company*
Crystal Petroleum Products Corporation
Cueba Oil & Gas Company*
Curry Pool Oil Company*
Cushing-Webb Oil Company
* Research in Progress
D
D.M. Simon Oil & Gas Company*
Dallas Oil Company of Texas*
Delaware Union Oil Company*
Delhi Oil Company
Denton-Eastland Oil Company*
Desoto Oil Company*
DeSoto Oil Company*
Detroit Oil & Refining Company*
Dominion Oil Company*
Double Standard Oil & Gas Company
Doughboy Oil Company
Dysart Oil Company
* Research in Progress
E
Eagle Oil & Gas Company*
E.A. Johnston Oil Company*
E. Brown Oil Development Company
Economy Oil Company*
Elbukan Oil Company
Elk Basin United Oil Company
Empire Explorations Inc.*
Engineer’s Petroleum Company
Escondido Oil Company*
Eureka Oil Company*
Evangeline Oil Company
* Research in Progress
F
Fairchild Petroleum*
Farmers Oil & Gas Company*
Federal Consolidated Oil Company*
Federal Oil and Gas Company
Fifty-Seven Oil Company*
Fort Stockton Oil Company*
Foster Farm Oil Company
Franklin Oil & Refining Company*
* Research in Progress
G
Garfield Oil & Refining Company*
Gate City-Wyoming Oil & Gas Company*
Gatex Oil Company*
Galloway Oil Corporation
Gas, Oil and Developing Company (The)
General Oil Company*
General Resources Corporation*
Gin Site Oil Company*
Gladys City Oil, Gas & Manufacturing Company
Gladys Oil Company
Glenn McCarthy, Inc.
Globe Natural Gas Company*
Gold Medal Oil Company*
Golden Gate Oil Company
Golden Goose Oil and Refining Company
Golden Valley Oil & Gas Company
Good Luck Oil Company*
Goshen Oil & Gas Company*
Grand County Oil & Refining Company*
Great Basin Oil Company*
Great Oil Basin Securities*
Great Southern Oil & Refining Association*
Great Southwestern Petroleum Company*
Great Sweet Grass Oils*
Great Western Oil & Gas Company
Greater Great Falls Oil Company*
Green River Oil & Uranium Company*
Gypsy-Burke Oil Company*
* Research in Progress
H
Hamilton Oil & Gas Company*
Hale Petroleum Company*
Harris-Fisher Oil Company*
Havana Oil Company
Hayden-Burk Petroleum Company*
Hecla-Wyoming Oil Company*
Hesperian Petroleum Company*
Higgins Wonder Oil Company
Hiram Wilson Oil Company*
Hoffman Oil & Refining Corporation
Hog Creek Carruth Oil Company
Holiday Oil & Gas Company*
Holly Oil Company
Homa Oil & Gas Company*
Home Oil & Development Company
Home Oil Company*
Homestead Oil Company
Horse Shoe Four Leaf Mining & Oil Company*
Horseshoe-Western Oil Company
Humble Oil Ridge Company*
Huntsville Consolidated Gas Company*
* Research in Progress
I
Imperial Drilling Company*
Indian Oil & Gas Company*
Industrial Oil & Refining Company*
Intercontinent Petroleum*
International Oil & Gas Corporation
Interstate Oil Company*
Iowa and California Oil & Gas Company*
Iowa-Beaumont Oil Company
* Research in Progress
J
John P. Mills Company
Johnson Oil Company*
Joe B. Turman Oil Syndicate
Julian Petroleum Corporation
Justheim Petroleum Company*
* Research in Progress
K
Kantexo Oil & Gas Company*
Keck Oil Company*
Ken-Saw Petroleum Corporation*
King George Oil Company*
Kokernot Oil Company
Kutz Canon Oil & Gas Company*
* Research in Progress
L
La Lomita Oil Syndicate*
Lewis Oil Corporation
Lewiston-Clarkston Oil & Gas Company*
Lexa Oil Company*
Lincoln-Idaho Oil Company
Lincoln Oil Producing Company*
Liquid Gold Oil Company*
Louisiana Consolidated Petroleum Company*
Love Petroleum Company*
Loy Oil Company*
Lucky Jim Oil Company
Lucky Long Oil Company*
* Research in Progress
M
Mahala Oil & Gas Company*
Mary Owens Oil Company*
McKeesport Gas Company
McTon Oil Company*
Meridian Petroleum Company
Mexican Oil & Coal Company*
Mid-Central Oil & Minerals Company*
Middle States Oil Corporation
Midfields Oil Company
Mid-Texas Petroleum Company*
Minnesota-Western Oil Company
Minnesota Victoria Oil Company*
Milwaukee Electra Oil Development Company*
Mississippi Oil Company*
Monarch Vacuum Petroleum Company*
Monroe Prospect Company*
Montana Belle Oil & Gas Company
Montana-Canadian Oil Company*
Montrose Gas, Oil and Coal Company
Morris-Van Keuren Oil and Gas Syndicate
Motex Oil Company*
Mountain States Resources Corporation
Multiple Dome Oil Company*
Murdock Oil & Gas Company
Muskogee Oil & Gas Company*
Mutual Consolidated Petroleum Corporation*
Mutual Oil & Development Company*
Mutual Oil Union Company*
* Research in Progress
N
Nanticoke Oil Company*
National Consolidated Oil Company*
National Energy Corporation*
National Oil Company*
National Oil Company of New Jersey
National Oil Refining and Manufacturing Company*
National Petroleum Company*
National Petroleum Lease Corporation*
National Union Oil & Gas Company
New Mexico Oil Properties Association
Neilan Oil & Refining Company
New England Petroleum Company*
New England-Texas Oil Refining Syndicate
Newfield Gas & Oil Company*
Nordon Corporation*
North Coast Oil & Refining Company*
North Counties Oil Company
Northern Oil Company*
Northwest Petroleum*
Northwestern Oils Inc.
Nova Petroleum Corporation
* Research in Progress
O
Occident Oil Company*
October Oil Company*
Ohio Oil Company (Marathon)
Ohio-Kansas Oil & Gas Company
Oil Exploration International*
Oil Prospectors Inc.
Oil Lease Development Company*
Okla-Queen Oil Company*
Oklahoma-Gulf Royalty Corporation*
Oklahoma-Texas Producing & Refining Company
Okmulgee Producing & Refining Company*
Old Colony Oil Company
Omaha Oil & Refining Company
Omaha-Lusk Oil Company*
Orange County Petroleum Company*
Oregon and Wyoming Oil & Gas Company*
Otter Creek Oil & Gas Company
Overland Oil Inc.*
Over the Top Oil Company
Owl Petroleum Company*
Ozena Oil Company*
* Research in Progress
P
Pacific Land and Oil*
Pacific States Oil Company*
Pacific States Petroleum Company*
Palmer Union Oil Company
Paramount Petroleum Company
Pawnee Bill Oil Company
Pelican Petroleum Company
Peoples Oil and Production Company*
Petroleum Maatschappij Salt Creek Company
Petroleum Producers’ Association
Penn Bayless Oil & Gas Company*
Penn Royal Oil Company*
Pennsylvania Oil & Development Company
Petroleum Consolidation Company*
Petroleum Production Company of America*
Phenix Oil and Gas Company*
Philippine Oil Development Company*
Phoenix Oil Company*
Pilgrim Oil Company
Pine Valley Oil Company*
Pioneer Oil & Gas Company*
Pittsburgh-Youngstown Oil & Gas Company*
Plateau Oil & Gas Company*
Plateau Petroleums Limited*
Pongratz Petroleum Company*
Postal Employees Oil & Gas Company*
Power Petroleum Trust Estate*
Powers Manufacturing Company*
Prescott-Peoria Oil Company*
Price River Petroleum Company
Producers and Refiners Corporation
Provident Oil & Refining Company*
Prudential Oil and Refining Company
Puente Crude Oil Company
Puente Oil Company
* Research in Progress
Q
R
Railroad Employees Oil Company*
Railroaders’ Oil Company*
Ramsey Oil Company*
Ranger and Burkburnett Oil Company*
Ranger Extension Oil & Gas Company
Ranger-Rock Island Oil and Refining Company
Ranger Petroleum Company
Ranger-Vindicator Oil & Development Company*
Red Rock Oil & Gas Company*
Revere Oil Company
Richey Oil Company*
Richfield Oil Corporation
Richfield-Union Petroleum Company
Robert F. Harrison
Rockefeller Oil Company*
Rosson Oil Company*
Ruby Hill Oil & Gas Company*
Ryan Petroleum Corporation
* Research in Progress
S
Sable Oil & Gas Company*
St. Elco Oil & Gas Company*
St. Martins Oil & Gas Company*
Sammies Oil Corporation (Choate Oil)
San Jacinto River Oil Company*
San Mateo Oil and Refining Company*
Sanger Oil & Refining Company
Santa Fe Dome Oil Company
Santa Fe Western Gas & Uranium Corporation*
Savannah Oil, Coal, and Gas Company
Sawyer Petroleum Company
Sawyer-Adecor International
Scofield, Shurmer & Teagle*
Seaboard Oil & Gas Company
Seattle Toledo Oil Company*
Security Oil Company*
Security Oil Syndicate No. 2*
Sen-Burk Oil Company*
Seven States Oil Company*
Sherman Gasoline Company*
Shoe & Leather Petroleum Company
Shoshone Oil Company
Signal Oil and Gas Company*
Solar Oil Corporation*
Sound Cities Gas & Oil Company
Sour Lake Texas Oil Company*
Southeastern Limited Oil Company*
Southern Montana Oil Company*
Southern Rose Oil & Gas Company
Southern States Drilling Company*
Southern States Oil Company*
Corporation Southwest Oil Corporation*
Southwestern Oil Development Company
Southwestern Petroleum & Pipe Line Company*
Spear Oil Company
Square Deal Oil Company*
Standard Consolidated Oil & Land Company*
Standard Exploration Company*
Star Oil Company
Staveless Barrel & Tank Company
Steelman Realty Gas & Oil Company
Sterling Oil Company of Oklahoma*
Studebaker Oil & Refining Company*
Sulphur Oil Company*
Sunset Pacific Oil Company
Sunshine State Oil & Refining Company
Sure Oil Company*
Syndicate Oil Corporation of America*
* Research in Progress
T
Tapo Oil Company*
Texas-Bunger Oil and Refining Company*
Texas-Rotan Oil Company*
Texas-Washington Oil Company*
Texas Control Consolidated Oil Company*
Texas Crude Oil Company*
Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation
Texas Independent Pipe Line Company*
Texas Oil & Refining Company
Texas Oil, Gas & Mineral Products Company*
Texas Oil Products Company
Texas Producers Oil Company*
Texas Production Company
Texas United Oil Company
The 1919 Oil Company*
Tideland Oil & Gas Corporation*
Toltec Oil Company*
Trans-World Oil Company
Treasure State Oil & Gas Company
Triangle Petroleum Company*
Tri-State Drilling Company*
Tulsa Producing and Refining Company
Twentieth Century Oil & Gas Company*
Twentymile Oil & Gas Company*
* Research in Progress
U
Uncle Sam Oil Company*
Union Oil & Gas Company*
Union Oil, Gas & Refining Company*
United Cuban Oil Inc.
United Plains Oil Company*
United Southern Oil Company*
United States Oil and Gas Company
United Sulphur & Oil Company*
United Texas Petroleum Company*
Uranium-Petroleum Company*
U.S.A. Oil Company*
Ute Oil Company – Oil Shale Pioneer
* Research in Progress
V
Ventura Oil Development Company*
Vernon Winner Oil Company*
Vista Petroleum*
Volunteer Oil Company*
* Research in Progress
W
Warren Oil & Uranium Mining Company*
Washington-Montana Oil Company*
Wellington Oil Company
Wellmington Oil Corporation*
West Coast Pipeline Company
Western Giant Oil Company*
Western Natural Gas Company*
Western Nebraska Oil Company*
Western States Oil Company*
Wichita Oil & Gas Company
Winona Oil Corporation
Wolf Butte Oil & Gas Company*
Woman’s Federal Oil Company of America
Women’s National Oil & Development Company
World Oil Company
Wyoming Chief Oil Refining Company*
Wyoming Consolidated Oil Company*
Wyoming-Dakota Oil Company
Wyoming Oil & Coal Company*
Wyoming Peerless Oil Company
Wyoming Prairie Oil & Gas Company
Wyoming Second Standard Oil Company*
* Research in Progress
Wallace Oil CompanyWarren Oil & Uranium Mining Company*
Washington-Montana Oil Company*
Wellington Oil Company
Wellmington Oil Corporation*
West Coast Pipeline Company
Western Giant Oil Company*
Western Natural Gas Company*
Western Nebraska Oil Company*
Western States Oil Company*
Wichita Oil & Gas Company
Winona Oil Corporation
Wolf Butte Oil & Gas Company*
Woman’s Federal Oil Company of America
Women’s National Oil & Development Company
World Oil Company
Wyoming Chief Oil Refining Company*
Wyoming Consolidated Oil Company*
Wyoming-Dakota Oil Company
Wyoming Oil & Coal Company*
Wyoming Peerless Oil Company
Wyoming Prairie Oil & Gas Company
Wyoming Second Standard Oil Company*
* Research in Progress
X
Y
Yankee Girl Oil Company
Yankee Oil & Gas Company
Z
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Your old oil stock not listed? Please support research by the American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) with a donation. You are invited to submit your query in the current Stock Certificate Q&A Forum.
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The American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) preserves U.S. petroleum history. Please become an AOGHS annual supporter and help maintain this energy education website and expand historical research. For more information, contact bawells@aoghs.org. Copyright © 2024 Bruce A. Wells. All rights reserved.