TRIANGLE NO.1!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY June 12, 2025 TRIANGLE NO.1! The Triangle No. 1 well, drilled by O.P. Taylor, was completed on June 12, 1879, near Petrolia in Allegany County, New York. This well marked the first commercially successful oil well in the state, igniting the oil boom in the region. Taylor, often referred to as […]
FEDERAL GAS TAX!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY June 6, 2025 FEDERAL GAS TAX! The federal gas tax was first instituted on June 6, 1932, during the Great Depression to raise revenue for the federal government. At the time, the tax was set at one cent per gallon of gasoline. It was part of the Revenue Act of 1932, […]
VASELINE MAKES HISTORY!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY June 4, 2025 VASELINE MAKES HISTORY! On June 4, 1872, Robert Chesebrough was granted a patent for his now-famous “cure-all” product, Vaseline. Made from the byproduct of oil drilling, Chesebrough developed petroleum jelly and used bold marketing tactics to promote it. He would burn his skin in public demonstrations, apply Vaseline […]
GOOSE CREEK OIL FIELD!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY June 2, 2025 GOOSE CREEK OIL FIELD! The Goose Creek Oil Field began its offshore journey on June 2, 1908. Located in Galveston Bay, signs of oil were first noticed in 1903 when bubbling water, caused by natural gas, was observed. For about two and a half years following this discovery, […]
SANTA RITA NO.1!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 28, 2025 SANTA RITA NO.1! On May 28, 1923, the Santa Rita No. 1 well struck oil in Reagan County, Texas, forever changing the economic future of West Texas and the University of Texas System. After nearly two years of drilling through hard rock, the Texon Oil and Land Company […]
CENTRALIA MINE FIRE STILL BURNS!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 27, 2025 CENTRALIA MINE FIRE STILL BURNS! On May 27, 1962, a small landfill fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania, sparked something much bigger: an underground coal seam caught fire and has been burning ever since. What started as a routine cleanup turned into a relentless mine fire that’s still active more […]
JOHN D. ROCKFELLER
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY January 22, 2025 REAGAN ERA BEGINS! John D. Rockefeller was a businessman from the start, always finding something to sell, even as a child. Though he didn’t begin in the oil industry, he entered it in 1863 by investing in a refinery in Cleveland, Ohio. This move sparked a historic journey […]
T. BOONE PICKENS
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 22, 2025 T. BOONE PICKENS T. Boone Pickens Jr. was a successful oilman and philanthropist who once said he enjoyed giving away his money almost as much as he enjoyed making it. Born on May 22, 1928, in Holdenville, Oklahoma, Pickens was a true entrepreneur. He was born into the […]
LIMA FIELD BRINGS BOOM!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 19, 2025 LIMA FIELD BRINGS BOOM! On May 19, 1885, oil was discovered in Lima, Ohio, marking the beginning of one of the most significant oil booms in the Midwest. The Lima oil field quickly became one of the largest in the United States during the late 19th century. Initially, […]
MARGINAL WELLS, MAJOR SUPPORT!
TODAY IN ENERGY HISTORY May 16, 2025 MARGINAL WELLS, MAJOR SUPPORT! On May 16, 1934, the National Stripper Well Association (NSWA) was established to represent the interests of operators managing marginal oil and gas wells, commonly known as “stripper wells.” These wells, typically producing less than 15 barrels of oil or 90,000 cubic feet of […]