Show drakes Drake 3 folly brought forth the great oil era it was the drake well drakes folly drilled in 1859 that really was responsible for the beginning ot of the great oil era advancing prices of rock oil and a growing knowledge of petroleum and its uses in the production of kerosene paraffin and lubricants were developing a widespread interest in petroleum to in america and on oil creek pa i where oil off seepages see pages occurred E L drake superintendent of the seneca oil company property assembled his drilling equipment after boring 33 feet the drill tell fell into a crevice that made the total depth of the well 69 feet the next day observes a writer in the washington star that well was nearly filled with oil there ensued the first race for leases and wild speculation in in oil P properties roper ties by 1865 drilling had begun its march from Manito ulin island to alabama and from missouri to central new york the early arly e years of the twentieth century were marked by great advances in in oil field development in petroleum technology in the application of petroleum in the arts warfare and commerce and in geologic methods of discovering oil fields this black gold grew to be the second largest industry in the country and in production transportation refining and marketing some being invested in the united states in one year 1934 italy produced as much oil as this country produced in half an hour |