Sunday, January 10, 2021

The Spindletop Oil Gusher on This Day in History

 

This Day in History: The first great Texas oil gusher was discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas on this day in 1901. This became the hole that changed the world, and came to called the “Lucas Gusher” after Captain Anthony F. Lucas, a mining engineer. The oilfield produced 3.59 million barrels in its first year and 17.4 million barrels the next. 

Spindletop created the modern oil and natural gas industry, changed the future of American industry and transportation, and with it came many new oilfield technologies.

And this is a good thing. Oil and gas fueled automobiles which saved cities from horrible manure pollution. Oil also saved the whales. At one point whales were hunted almost to the point of extinction as whale blubber was at one time the main source of indoor lighting.




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