Titusville Strikes Oil: Birth of the Petroleum Age
Edwin Drake struck oil at a depth of 69.5 feet near Titusville, Pennsylvania, on August 27, 1859, using a steam engine to drive an iron pipe into bedrock. Drake was not a geologist or an engineer; he was a retired railroad conductor hired by the Seneca Oil Company because his rail pass provided free transportation. His innovation was using iron casing to prevent the borehole from collapsing in soft ground. Within fifteen months, the area around Oil Creek had over 75 active wells, and the first oil boom was under way. Drake never patented his drilling technique and died in poverty. The petroleum industry he launched now produces over 90 million barrels per day and remains the backbone of the global energy economy.
August 27, 1859
167 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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