AMERICA’S FIRST MULTI-STILL OIL REFINERY BREAKS GROUND
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 6, 2025 AMERICA’S FIRST MULTI-STILL OIL REFINERY BREAKS GROUND On November 6, 1860, construction began on the first multi-still oil refinery in the United States—an innovation that marked the beginning of large-scale petroleum refining. Built just before the Civil War, this refinery represented a major leap forward from the primitive […]
DEATH DURING SECRET WWII DRILLING PROJECT
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 13, 2025 DEATH DURING SECRET WWII DRILLING PROJECT On November 13, 1943, derrickhand Herman Douthit of Texas lost his life while working on a top-secret drilling project in Eakring, England. The mission—codenamed the Roughnecks of Sherwood Forest—brought skilled American oilmen overseas to help the Allies secure vital fuel during World […]
THE FOUNDING OF FOREST OIL COMPANY
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 12, 2025 THE FOUNDING OF FOREST OIL COMPANY On November 12, 1916, a group of independent producers in Bradford, Pennsylvania joined forces to form the Forest Oil Company. What began as a local merger quickly grew into one of the most respected names in American oil and gas. Forest Oil […]
THE IDEA THAT SPARKED AMERICA’S FIRST OIL WELL
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 10, 2025 THE IDEA THAT SPARKED AMERICA’S FIRST OIL WELL On November 10, 1854, natural oil seeps in Pennsylvania caught the attention of George Bissell and his partners—sparking a revolutionary idea. They believed that the thick, dark substance seeping from the ground could be refined into kerosene for lamps, offering […]
THE FIRST OFFSHORE OIL WELL BEYOND THE HORIZON
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 14, 2025 THE FIRST OFFSHORE OIL WELL BEYOND THE HORIZON On November 14, 1947, Kerr-McGee and its partners made history by completing the first oil well drilled out of sight of land in the Gulf of Mexico. Built by Brown & Root, the freestanding platform—Kermac 16—rose from the water 10 […]
THE BIRTH OF CON EDISON
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 11, 2025 THE BIRTH OF CON EDISON On November 11, 1884, six competing New York City gas-light companies joined forces to form the Consolidated Gas Company—a historic merger that created the largest gas utility in the United States. The company’s lineage traces back to the New York Gas Light Company, […]
AMERICA EXPORTS OIL FOR THE FIRST TIME
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 19, 2025 AMERICA EXPORTS OIL FOR THE FIRST TIME On November 19, 1861, the brig Elizabeth Watts departed Philadelphia bound for London—its cargo: 901 barrels of Pennsylvania crude and 428 barrels of refined kerosene. This voyage marked America’s first-ever oil export, just two years after Edwin Drake drilled the nation’s […]
GASLIGHT BRIGHTENS THE U.S. CAPITOL
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 18, 2025 GASLIGHT BRIGHTENS THE U.S. CAPITOL On November 18, 1847, the U.S. Capitol glowed under manufactured gas light for the first time—replacing oil lamps and candles that had illuminated the halls since the early days of Congress. The gas, produced from coal, represented cutting-edge technology at the time and […]
U.S. OPENS 80 MILLION ACRES FOR OFFSHORE ENERGY EXPLORATION
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY November 17, 2025 U.S. OPENS 80 MILLION ACRES FOR OFFSHORE ENERGY EXPLORATION On November 17, 2021, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held one of the largest offshore lease auctions in U.S. history—offering roughly 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration and production. The […]
HOOVER DAM POWER LOS ANGELES
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY October 9, 2025 HOOVER DAM POWER LOS ANGELES On October 9, 1936, electricity from the Hoover Dam first flowed to Los Angeles, marking a turning point in America’s energy history. Construction had begun in 1931 and took five years of nonstop work, employing more than 20,000 people at the height of […]