This Week in Oil and Gas History: January 30 – February 5

January 31, 1888 – Oil Scout’s Death Brings Attention to Riders on the Hemlock On January 31, 1888, oil scout Justus McMullen officially passed away from pneumonia at the age of 37. The civil engineer hailed from Cornell University and had been scouting data from the Pittsburgh Manufacturers Gas Company Well at Canonsburg. The scouts, […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: January 9 – January 15

January 9, 1862 – US Exports Oil For the First Time Barrels similar to these would have been used to transport oil on board the Elizabeth Watts. In 1862, America exported petroleum for the first time, marking the beginning of centuries of oil exportation in the United States. The oil traveled on the brig Elizabeth […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: November 21 – November 27

November 21, 1925 — Small Oil Companies Merge to Form Magnolia Petroleum Magnolia Petroleum operated over 500 service stations across from Texas to Arkansas. In 1925, several small oil companies decided to join forces to start a chain of reactions that would eventually lead to the creation of the widely recognizable ExxonMobil. At the time, […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: November 7 – November 13

November 8, 1880 – Edwin Laurentine Drake Dies A monument located in Titusville, Pennsylvania was constructed 1901 to honor Edwin Drake. Edwin Drake drilled just three wells in his life, but he is widely considered to be the father of the US oil industry-as he was the first American to successfully drill an oil well. […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: October 24 – October 30

October 26, 1970 – Joe Roughneck Statue Dedicated in Texas The ‘Joe Roughneck’ statue was dedicated by Texas Governor Preston Smith in 1970. It is at a rest stop off Highway 64 and marks the site of a time capsule to be opened in 2056. In the 1950s and 60s, no one in the state […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: October 17 – October 23

October 17, 1890 – Unocal Is Founded When oil drillers Wallace Hardison and Lyman Stewart, founded The Union Oil Company of California in 1890, they had no idea it would go on to be a leading force in the oil industry for over 100 years. Soon after establishing their company in Santa Paula, CA, the […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: October 10 – October 16

October 13, 1917 – Founding of the USOGA The modern USOGA works on behalf of the oil and gas industry, particularly in states along the Gulf of Mexico. The US Oil and Gas Association (USOGA) isn’t just a big force in the oil and gas industry today—it is one that has been governing this sector […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: October 3 – October 9

October 3, 1930 – Giant Oilfield discovered on Daisy Bradford’s Farm The East Texas oilfield remains one of the largest in the continental United States. It was first tapped by Columbus Joiner in 1930 at the Daisy Bradford #3 Well. On October 3rd, 1930, a crowd of more than 4,000 spectators gathered at Daisy Bradford’s […]

This Week in Oil and Gas History: July 24 – July 30

July 25th, 1543 – Oil Discovery Oil was first discovered in the New World was made by Spanish explorers, hundreds of years before the oil well was struck in the United States. This unexpected discovery happened when a storm forced the explorers to land at a location near a river. Don Luis de Moscoso guided […]