A Chronology of U.S. Oil & Gas
This Week in Petroleum History
This Week in Petroleum History: May 27 – June 2
May 27, 1893 - Oklahoma Historical Society founded Before Oklahoma became a state, the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) was founded during the annual meeting of the Oklahoma Territorial Press Association in Kingfisher. An early mission included collecting and...
This Week in Petroleum History: May 20 – 26
May 20, 1930 - Geophysicists establish Professional Society - Earth scientists in Houston established the Society of Economic Geophysicists to encourage the ethical practice of geophysics in the exploration and development of natural resources. The organization in...
This Week in Petroleum History: May 13 – 19
May 14, 1906 - Louisiana Law conserves Natural Gas - Joining the growing number of states producing natural gas, Louisiana enacted conservation measures to prevent waste. Lawmakers passed "an Act to Protect the Natural Gas Fields of this State” empowering the governor...
This Week in Petroleum History: May 6 – 12
May 7, 1920 - Halliburton founds Well Cementing Company in Oklahoma - As mid-continent oil and gas discoveries continued, Erle Palmer Halliburton founded the Halliburton Company as an oilfield well service and cementing company. The Wilson, Oklahoma, venture succeeded...
This Week in Petroleum History: April 29 – May 5
April 30, 1929 - Marland Oil and Continental Oil become Conoco - After discovering several Oklahoma oil and gas fields, Marland Oil Company acquired Continental Oil Company to create a network of service stations in 30 states. Future Oklahoma Governor Ernest W....
This Week in Petroleum History: April 22 – 28
April 22, 1920 - Natural Gas Well leads Arkansas Discoveries - Although natural gas was first discovered in 1887 at Fort Smith, the first commercial production began in southern Arkansas with a well completed southeast of El Dorado. Drilled to a depth of almost 2,250...
This Week in Petroleum History: April 15 – 21
April 15, 1857 - First Natural Gas Company incorporated - Two years before the first U.S. oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, the Fredonia Gas Light and Water Works Company incorporated in Fredonia, New York, where a well drilled by local machinist and gunsmith...
This Week in Petroleum History: April 8 – 14
April 9, 1914 - Ohio Cities Gas Company founded - Beman Dawes and Fletcher Heath organized the Ohio Cities Gas Company in Columbus, Ohio, before building an oil refinery in West Virginia. Ohio Cities Gas acquired Pennsylvania-based Pure Oil Company in 1917 and...
This Week in Petroleum History: April 1 – 7
April 1, 1911 - First Gusher of "Pump Jack Capital of Texas" - South of the Red River border with Oklahoma, near Electra, Texas, the Clayco Oil & Pipe Line Company's Clayco No. 1 well launched an oil boom that would last decades. "As news of the gusher spread...
This Week in Petroleum History: March 25 – 31
March 26, 1930 - Oklahoma City's “Wild Mary Sudik” makes Headlines - What would become one of Oklahoma's most famous wells struck a high-pressure formation about 6,500 feet beneath Oklahoma City and oil erupted skyward. The Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Company's...
History of oil and Gas
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