A Chronology of U.S. Oil & Gas

This Week in Petroleum History

This Week in Petroleum History, July 17 to July 23

July 18, 1929 - Darst Creek Oilfield discovered in West Texas - With initial production of 1,000 barrels of oil a day, the Texas Company No. 1 Dallas Wilson well revealed a new West Texas oilfield at Darst Creek in Guadalupe County, about five miles from the...

This Week in Petroleum History, July 10 to July 16

July 10, 2000 - DOE establishes Home Heating Oil Reserve -  President Bill Clinton directed Energy Secretary Bill Richardson to establish the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR) for use during severe winters and other supply emergencies. The reserve of 2...

This Week in Petroleum History, July 3 to July 9

July 5, 1900 - Edison films Standard Oil Refinery Fire in New Jersey -   An early morning lightning strike at the Standard Oil Company refinery at Bayonne, New Jersey, set off explosions in three storage tanks, each with a capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil. Within...

This Week in Petroleum History – June 26 to July 2

June 26, 1885 - Natural Gas Utility established in Pennsylvania - Peoples Natural Gas Company incorporated -- the first Pennsylvania natural gas company chartered by the state to regulate production, transmission, and distribution of natural gas. A similar utility...

This Week in Petroleum History, June 19 to June 25

June 20, 1977 -  Oil begins Flowing in Trans-Alaska Pipeline -  The Trans-Alaska Pipeline began carrying oil 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to the Port of Valdez at Prince William Sound. The oil arrived 38 days later, culminating the world's largest privately funded...

This Week in Petroleum History, June 12 to June 18

June 12, 1879 - Allegheny Oilfield discovered by O.P. Taylor -  Orville "O.P." Taylor completed the Triangle No. 1 well at a depth of 1,177 feet in Allegheny County, New York, revealing an oilfield that extended into Pennsylvania. His discovery came after two failed...

This Week in Petroleum History, June 5 to June 11

June 6, 1932 - First Federal Gasoline Tax -  The federal government taxed gasoline for the first time when the Revenue Act of 1932 added a one-cent per gallon excise tax to U.S. gasoline sales. The first state to tax gasoline had been Oregon, which imposed a one-cent...

This Week in Petroleum History, May 29 to June 4

May 29, 1940 - Nebraska's First Oil Well -  After more than a half century of dry holes, Nebraska's first commercial oil well was completed near Falls City in the southeastern corner of the state. Eager to join other states benefiting from tax revenue gained from...

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