by Bruce Wells | Apr 13, 2026 | This Week in Petroleum History
April 13, 1974 – Depth Record set in Oklahoma’s Anadarko Basin –
After drilling for 504 days and spending about $7 million, the Bertha Rogers No. 1 well reached a total depth of 31,441 feet — almost six miles — before being stopped by liquid sulfur. Drilled in Oklahoma’s Anadarko Basin, it held the record of the world’s deepest well for more than a decade. (more…)
by Bruce Wells | Jun 3, 2025 | Petroleum Technology
Gas lamps illuminated Baltimore streets in 1817 after a dazzling demonstration at an art museum.
America’s first public street lamp (fueled by manufactured gas) illuminated Market Street in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 7, 1817, making the Gas Light Company of Baltimore the first U.S. commercial gas lighting company. A replica of the original street lamp, which burned gas distilled from tar and wood, was erected there a century later. (more…)
