WEST VIRGINIA’S FIRST OIL BOOM BEGINS
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 1, 2026 WEST VIRGINIA’S FIRST OIL BOOM BEGINS On May 1, 1860, John Castelli Rathbone completed a successful oil well at Burning Springs Run in what is now West Virginia, producing roughly 100 barrels per day. The well marked the first significant oil discovery outside Pennsylvania, extending America’s young petroleum […]
U.S. AUTHORIZES SPR CRUDE OIL SALE
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 30, 2026 U.S. AUTHORIZES SPR CRUDE OIL SALE On April 30, 1996, the U.S. government under Bill Clinton authorized the sale of approximately 12 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The move aimed to ease rising gasoline prices and demonstrate the federal government’s ability to […]
MACK C. CHASE: PERMIAN OIL PIONEER
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 29, 2026 MACK C. CHASE: PERMIAN OIL PIONEER On April 29, 1931, Mack C. Chase was born — a future oil and natural gas entrepreneur who would become one of the most successful independent operators in the Permian Basin. Chase began working in oilfields at just 14 years old, gaining […]
RED ADAIR EXTINGUISHES SAHARA’S “DEVIL’S CIGARETTE LIGHTER
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 28, 2026 RED ADAIR EXTINGUISHES SAHARA’S “DEVIL’S CIGARETTE LIGHTER On April 28, 1962, famed oil well firefighter Red Adair and his team successfully extinguished the massive “Devil’s Cigarette Lighter” gas well fire in the Algerian Sahara. The blowout had raged for months after a drilling accident, sending towering flames hundreds […]
DEEPWATER HORIZON SPILL SPREAD SIGNIFICANTLY
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 27, 2026 DEEPWATER HORIZON SPILL SPREAD SIGNIFICANTLY On April 27, 2010, just one week after the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon, the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico had spread roughly 100 miles across and extended to within about 20 miles of the Louisiana coastline. The scale of […]
LOS ANGELES OIL FIELD STRIKES PRODUCTION
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 24, 2026 LOS ANGELES OIL FIELD STRIKES PRODUCTION On April 24, 1909, the Los Angeles Oil Field began producing commercial quantities of crude, marking a major turning point for Southern California’s energy development. What had once been ranchland and scattered neighborhoods quickly became one of the most productive urban oil […]
LIBYA BEGINS COMMERCIAL OIL PRODUCTION
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 23, 2026 LIBYA BEGINS COMMERCIAL OIL PRODUCTION On April 23, 1961, commercial oil production officially began in Libya following the late-1950s discoveries that transformed the country into a major new petroleum supplier. The start of exports marked Libya’s rapid entry into the global oil market, shifting North African energy dynamics […]
ENOFISK BRAVO BLOWOUT
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 22, 2026 ENOFISK BRAVO BLOWOUT On April 22, 1977, a major blowout occurred at the Bravo platform in the Ekofisk field on Norway’s continental shelf, releasing a large volume of oil and gas into the North Sea. The uncontrolled well flowed for more than a week before being capped, marking […]
SEMINOLE OIL FIELD OPENS IN OKLAHOMA
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 21, 2026 SEMINOLE OIL FIELD OPENS IN OKLAHOMA On April 21, 1930, the Seminole Oil Field in Oklahoma began producing commercial quantities of crude oil following a string of successful wells that confirmed the region as a major petroleum center. The discovery triggered an intense drilling boom that reshaped the […]
WTI CRUDE FUTURES COLLAPSE BELOW ZERO IN HISTORIC SHOCK
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY April 20, 2026 WTI CRUDE FUTURES COLLAPSE BELOW ZERO IN HISTORIC SHOCK On April 20, 2020, U.S. crude oil futures tied to West Texas Intermediate (WTI) closed at negative $37.63 per barrel — the first time in history oil prices fell below zero. Traders were effectively paying buyers to take crude […]