MASSIVE OIL GUSHER DISCOVERED AT BABA GURGUR, IRAQ
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 15, 2025 MASSIVE OIL GUSHER DISCOVERED AT BABA GURGUR, IRAQ On October 15, 1927, a drilling crew at Baba Gurgur, near Kirkuk, Iraq, struck one of the most powerful oil gushers in history. Operated by the Turkish Petroleum Company (later the Iraq Petroleum Company), the well erupted with an estimated […]
FIRST OIL REACHES THE MEDITERRANEAN VIA KIRKUK-HAIFA PIPELINE
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 14, 2025 FIRST OIL REACHES THE MEDITERRANEAN VIA KIRKUK-HAIFA PIPELINE On October 14, 1934, oil from Kirkuk, Iraq flowed to the Haifa terminal for the first time through the newly completed Kirkuk–Haifa pipeline—a major breakthrough in early 20th-century energy transport. Stretching roughly 600 miles (965 km), the pipeline provided Iraq […]
FIRST OFFSHORE LEASE SALE
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 13, 2025 FIRST OFFSHORE LEASE SALE On October 13, 1954, the U.S. government held its first federal offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, officially launching the nation’s offshore energy era. Conducted under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1954, the auction drew more than […]
CNOOC STRIKES HEAVY OIL IN BOHAI BAY
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 23, 2025 CNOOC STRIKES HEAVY OIL IN BOHAI BAY On October 23, 2013, CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation) announced a breakthrough at its Luda 5-2 North prospect in Bohai Bay, marking a key milestone in China’s offshore exploration efforts. The discovery well tested at roughly 1,040 barrels per day, […]
CEASEFIRE COLLAPSE IGNITE GLOBAL OIL CRISIS
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 22, 2025 CEASEFIRE COLLAPSE IGNITE GLOBAL OIL CRISIS On October 22, 1973, the U.N.-brokered ceasefire in the Yom Kippur War collapsed, reigniting fighting between Israel and Arab nations. What began as a temporary truce quickly unraveled into renewed hostilities, deepening regional instability and shaking global confidence. In response, Arab oil […]
REMEMBERING NELSON BUNKER HUNT
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY January 22, 2025 REMEMBERING NELSON BUNKER HUNT On October 21, 2014, the energy world lost Nelson Bunker Hunt (born February 22, 1926)—a Texas oil heir who became one of the most influential independent oilmen of his time. Building on his family’s legacy, Hunt expanded exploration beyond U.S. borders, striking success in […]
BIRTH OF KOLA ALUKO, NIGERIAN OIL ENTREPRENEUR
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 20, 2025 BIRTH OF KOLA ALUKO, NIGERIAN OIL ENTREPRENEUR On October 20, 1969, Kola Aluko was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Decades later, he would become one of Africa’s most prominent energy entrepreneurs, co-founding Atlantic Energy, a company focused on oil exploration and production across Nigeria’s onshore and offshore fields. Aluko’s […]
BEGINNING OF THE 1973 OIL PRICE CRISIS
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 16, 2025 BEGINNING OF THE 1973 OIL PRICE CRISIS On October 16, 1973, just days after the start of the Yom Kippur War, Arab oil producers began to leverage crude pricing and production as a political tool—sending shockwaves through the global energy market. The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries […]
PRESIDENT NIXON LAUNCHES PROJECT INDEPENDENCE
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 7, 2025 PRESIDENT NIXON LAUNCHES PROJECT INDEPENDENCE On November 7, 1973, in the midst of the Arab oil embargo, President Richard Nixon launched Project Independence—a sweeping national plan to achieve American energy self-sufficiency by 1980. Modeled after the Manhattan Project, the initiative sought to free the United States from its […]
SEACREST DRILLSHIP CAPSIZE TRAGEDY
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 3, 2025 SEACREST DRILLSHIP CAPSIZE TRAGEDY On November 3, 1989, the Seacrest drillship — also known as the Scan Queen — capsized in the Gulf of Thailand during the devastating Typhoon Gay while drilling for Unocal. In just minutes, powerful winds and waves overturned the vessel, killing 91 of the […]