A Chronology of U.S. Oil & Gas
This Week in Petroleum History
This Week in Petroleum History, November 25 to December 1
November 25, 1875 - Continental Oil sends Kerosene Westward Convinced he could profit by purchasing bulk kerosene in cheaper eastern markets, Isaac Blake formed the Continental Oil and Transportation Company and began transporting kerosene refined in Cleveland, Ohio,...
This Week in Petroleum History, November 18 – 24
November 18, 1847 -- Manufactured Gas illuminates U.S. Capitol - Lamps fueled by "coal gas" began replacing kerosene and whale oil lamps in the U.S. Capitol. Manufactured gas distilled beneath the Capitol flowed through newly installed pipes into light fixtures,...
This Week in Petroleum History, November 11 – 17
November 11, 1884 - Gas Companies merge into Con Edison - The largest U.S. gas utility company at the time was created in New York City when six gas-light companies -- using manufactured coal gas -- combined to form the Consolidated Gas Company. The Consolidated...
This Week in Petroleum History, November 4 – 10
November 6, 1860 - First Multi-Still Oil Refinery started in Pennsylvania - As the Civil War neared, construction began on America's first multiple-still oil refinery. William Barnsdall, who completed a oil well soon after the first U.S. oil well of August 1859, spent...
This Week in Petroleum History, October 28 – November 3
October 28, 1868 - Newspaper praises Explosive Technology - The Titusville Morning Herald praised the results of an explosive oilfield production technology -- Civil War veteran Colonel E.A.L. Roberts' patented nitroglycerin torpedo. "It would be superfluous, at this...
This Week in Petroleum History, October 21 – 27
October 21, 1921 - First Natural Gas Well in New Mexico - The New Mexico natural gas industry began when the newly established Aztec Oil Syndicate's State No. 1 well found a gas field about 15 miles northeast of Farmington in San Juan County. The drilling crew used a...
This Week in Petroleum History, October 14 – 20
October 14, 1929 - Van Oilfield Discovery East of Dallas - Pure Oil Company completed its Jarman No. 1 well in Van Zandt County and launched a drilling boom 60 miles east of Dallas. During its first hour, the oilfield discovery well produced 147 barrels of oil from...
This Week in Petroleum History: October 7 – 13
October 7, 1859 - First U.S. Oil Well catches Fire - The wooden derrick and engine house of America's first oil well erupted in flames along Oil Creek at Titusville, Pennsylvania. The well had been completed the previous August by Edwin L. Drake for George Bissell and...
This Week in Petroleum History: September 30 – October 6
September 30, 2006 - Roughnecks Statue dedicated at Signal Hill - A bronze "Tribute to the Roughnecks" statue was dedicated near the Alamitos No. 1 well, which in 1921 revealed California's prolific Long Beach oilfield 20 miles south of Los Angeles. The statue by...
This Week in Petroleum History: September 23 – 29
September 23, 1918 - Wood River Refinery goes Online - The Roxana Petroleum Company Wood River (Illinois) facility began refining crude oil -- processing more than two million barrels of oil from Oklahoma oilfields in its first year of operation. Roxana Petroleum was...
History of oil and Gas
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