History of Oil

Articles

80 Years of Discovery

Having just celebrated its 80th anniversary, CGGVeritas is one of the longest established service companies in the oil industry, and now employs over 7,200 people in 70 countries.

The Standard Oil Story III: The Rise, Fall and Rise of The Standard Oil Company

In the past two issues of GEO ExPro (No. 2 and 3, Vol. 8), we looked at the profiles of John D. Rockefeller and Ida Tarbell; in this final part of the article, we review the growth and fate of the Standard Oil Company, which, as we will see, remains the great-grandfather of the major US oil companies today.

The Abu Dhabi Oil Discoveries

In the 1930s Abu Dhabi was a poor fishing village on the edge of the desert, but the discovery of oil has revolutionised the Emirate. It is thought to possess the sixth largest proven oil reserves in the world and is now extremely rich.

Ida Tarbell: Pioneering Oil Industry Journalist

Exactly a hundred years ago Standard Oil, which controlled the oil industry in the US, was forced to split into several companies, due largely to the pioneering work done by Ida Tarbell.

Start of Something Big

An oil discovery in the Moose Range wilderness on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula would bring a momentous change to the territory and have oil exploration implications far to the north.

The First Commercial North Sea Oil Discovery

The discovery of the Ekofisk Field in 1969 marked the beginning of a new era in the oil industry. Max Melli, the Italian well site geologist, was the first to see the evidence.

A Long and Winding Road

The North Slope of Alaska is a cornerstone of US oil production with several giant fields, notably Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk and Endicott, plus extensive heavy oil at Ugnu and West Sak. The generation that discovered these fields is almost gone; what can we learn from their efforts?

The Road to OPEC 1960

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Holding 77% of world's proven oil reserves and delivering 41% of production, this organization has a powerful place in our world. Here we review how OPEC began and rose to its current position.

Western Canada’s First Oil Discovery

It took nearly a year for the cable-tool rig to reach a total depth of 427m. The Lineham No. 1 well had oil shows throughout the drilling process, and oil began flowing on September 21, 1902, from a depth of 310m.

Latest Magazine

Subscription Options

Media Guide

Most popular articles

Key Dates

Organisation Offers

Useful Facts

History of Oil

Articles