Until about 150 years ago, one of the main sources of oil for purposes such as lighting, was whales. People had been collecting “rock oil” from seeps, where it oozes to the surface, for centuries. Unfortunately for the whales, however, scooping it up from the ground wasn't commercially viable.
In efforts to get at the stuff in more commercial quantities, oil wells had been sunk in Poland and Canada. But these were hand-dug affairs. In 1848, a well was drilled in Azerbaijan by Russian engineer FN Semyenov, considered by many to be the first modern-drilled oil well. But it would be Edwin Drake that would have the biggest and most immediate effect on the industry in the USA.
With the backing of the Seneca Oil Company, Drake used new techniques (which he neglected to patent) using an iron pipe to drill a comparatively deep well through the bedrock in Titusville, Pennsylvania. And on this day in 1859, at a depth of 69 feet, he struck oil. His pioneering well produced 25 barrels of oil a day.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
It wasn't all plain sailing for Drake, however. He had spent five months perfecting his drilling method. And soon after production began, his chief driller sparked disaster when he went to inspect the well one dim day, using an oil lamp to light his way. The oil inevitably ignited, and burned down the well buildings and Drake's house.
But Drake's well proved that it was economically feasible to extract oil from the ground, and his success sparked a boom. Imitators sprung up all around the immediate area. And within 13 years, they were producing some 16,000 barrels a day.
Many people got humongously rich. But not Drake; he ended up broke. He only drilled three wells in total, and lost an awful lot of money speculating in oil. But the grateful people of Titusville granted him a stipend, and in 1876, the state of Pennsylvania awarded him a pension.
-
Zoopla: Asking price discounts hit a five-year high – is now the time to buy a property?News Zoopla’s October House Price Index shows sellers are accepting discounts of 5.5% on average to secure a sale – we reveal where homeowners are taking the biggest asking price cuts
-
Equity release rates drop – is it worth unlocking cash from your home?
News Lifetime mortgage rates are falling from their record highs - is equity release worth another look?
-
31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UK
Features On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
-
13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launched
Features On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
-
9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar Square
Features On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
-
3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is created
Features On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
-
10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
-
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
-
8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formed
Features On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
-
7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
