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PETROLEUM
Lesson 1 - Page 2

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Early oil pioneers noted that oil could be found near oil seeps. As drilling equipment was developed in the 1800's, searching for water and salt, oil finders decided to drill for oil. As drilling started, they recognized that the rocks gave them clues to where the oil was trapped. They noted that sedimentary rocks, especially sandstones, would contain the black liquid. Early explorers would not only use science, but also luck.

Edwin L. Drake was just one of these early drillers. He developed a "drive pipe" that would allow people to drill with more control. In 1859, near Oil Creek in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Drake used his drill and struck oil. He used whisky barrels to capture his new wealth. Word soon spread like a wildfire, with the promise of riches, men were lured to strike it rich in the oil fields of the east.

Although Drake laid the foundation for an industry that would change the face of the world, he died in the 1880's in obscurity. But the industry he helped to find, would soon make oil finders some of the wealthiest people in the world.


Drake's first operation in Pennsylvania

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