SIGNAL HILL OIL BOOM!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY June 23,, 2025 SIGNAL HILL OIL BOOM! On June 23, 1921, the Alamitos No. 1 well made history in Signal Hill, California, with the discovery of oil. Although many doubted the area’s potential, Shell Oil proved them wrong. When the well blew in, it caused the borehole to collapse, but it […]
CASPER REFINERY OPENS!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 5, 2025 CASPER REFINERY OPENS! 10:54 Wyoming’s first refinery began operations on March 5, 1895, initially producing 100 barrels per day of various petroleum products, from cylinder oil to heavy grease. By 1898, production had doubled, expanding to seven grades of oil products. Built by the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas […]
CLARENCE IVERSON NO. 1
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 4, 2025 CLARENCE IVERSON NO. 1 The Clarence Iverson No. 1 well, located near Tioga, North Dakota, made history on April 4, 1951, as the state’s first commercially successful oil well. Drilled by Amerada Petroleum Corporation, it reached a depth of 10,500 feet before striking oil in the Madison Group, […]
GERD DAM OPERATIONAL!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY February 20, 2025 GERD DAM OPERATIONAL! 10:50 The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, poised to transform Ethiopia’s energy landscape. Located near the Sudan-Ethiopia border, GERD is expected to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity, effectively doubling Ethiopia’s power capacity and providing energy access to millions. On February […]
COUNT ALESSANDRO VOLTA
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY February 18, 2025 COUNT ALESSANDRO VOLTA Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta, better known as Count Volta, was the brilliant mind behind the electric battery. His invention was driven not only by his passion for physics but also by a desire to prove a point. After a dispute with Luigi Galvani […]
JOSEPH S. CULLINAN
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY March 11, 2025 JOSEPH S. CULLINAN Joseph Cullinan entered the oil industry at just 14, working in the Pennsylvania oil fields before spending 13 years with Standard Oil. He later founded Petroleum Iron Works, specializing in steel storage tanks, and was invited to Corsicana to advise on oil production and marketing. […]
H.L. HUNT, EAST TEXAS LEGEND!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY February 17, 2025 H.L. HUNT, EAST TEXAS LEGEND! Haroldson Lafayette Hunt, better known as H.L. Hunt, was born on February 17, 1889, in Illinois. After striking it rich in El Dorado, Arkansas—only to lose his fortune—he used his last $109 and a loan from a local clothier to purchase wells from […]
COLUMBUS “DAD” JOINER
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY March 28, 2025 COLUMBUS “DAD” JOINER Born on March 12, 1860, Columbus Marion Joiner earned his place in history as the father of the East Texas Oil Field. After twice losing his fortune in Oklahoma, he moved to Rusk County, Texas, where his persistence paid off—his third well, Daisy Bradford No. […]
THE PROPHET OF SPINDLETOP!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY June 5, 2025 THE PROPHET OF SPINDLETOP! Pattillo Higgins was a wildcatter often referred to as the “Prophet of Spindletop.” His belief in the field eventually led to the Texas oil boom, though not until years after his initial prediction. Higgins was convinced that oil could be found beneath the salt […]
HELEN BELYEA: TRAILBLAZER!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 20, 2025 HELEN BELYEA: TRAILBLAZER! 10:36 Helen Belyea was a pioneering Canadian geologist whose work helped shape the understanding of Western Canada’s vast energy resources. Born in 1913, she joined the Geological Survey of Canada in 1945 and quickly became one of its leading experts on the Devonian System. Belyea’s […]