The history of the European oil and gas industry reflects local as well as global political events, economic constraints and the personal endeavours of individual petroleum geoscientists as much as it does the development of technologies and the underlying geology of the region. The first commercial oil wells in Europe were drilled in Poland in 1853, Romania in 1857, Germany in 1859 and Italy in 1860. The 23 papers in this volume focus on the history and heritage of the oil and gas industry in the key European oil-producing countries from the earliest onshore drilling to its development into the modern industry that we know today. The contributors chronicle the main events and some of the major players that shaped the industry in Europe. The volume also marks several important anniversaries, including 150 years of oil exploration in Poland and Romania, the centenary of the drilling of the first oil well in the UK and 50 years of oil production from onshore Spain.

The large scale, practical uses of natural gas were initially introduced by innovators Joseph Pew and George Westinghouse for the steel and glass industries in Pittsburgh, and local gas companies evolved from individual wells to an interstate supply network acquired by Rockefeller's Standard Oil interests. Natural gas is now a prevalent part of American markets and is filling the critical void left by a lack of new coal, oil, and nuclear power facilities. This vital American enterprise began in the Appalachian states as an accidental and underestimated by-product of the oil rush of 1859. This book explores the evolution and significance of the natural gas industry. Early chapters discuss the first natural gas discoveries in the 1800s, the ways in which entrepreneurs used the fuel, the consequent displacement of the manufactured gas industry, and the expansion of the Appalachian natural gas network-largely initiated by Standard Oil interests-into major regional markets. Later chapters discuss the growth of the Appalachian drilling industry, the first wooden and metal pipelines, the development of gas compressor engines, the pioneering of gas storage fields, and the genesis of gas marketing for lighting, heating, cooking, and industrial use. The concluding chapter describes the growth of the Appalachian natural gas industry since its major source of supply shifted from local wells in the 1950s to new discoveries of natural gas in the southwestern United States and the Gulf of Mexico. The conclusion also describes the impact of gas shortages and the government regulation that affects the industry to the present day.

This edited volume discusses scientific and technological aspects of the history of the oil and gas industry in national and international contexts. The search for oil for industrial uses began in the nineteenth century, the first drills made in Azerbaijan and the United States. This intense search for a substance to become one of the most important energy sources was, many times, based on skill as well as luck, resulting in knowledge and the development of prospecting and exploration technologies. The demand for oil improved expertise in geological science, in areas such as micropaleontology, stratigraphy or sedimentology and informed different disciplines such as geophysics. These contributions made possible not only the discovery of new oil fields but also new applications and methods of exploration. Beyond the scientific and technological aspects, an industry that grew to such considerable size also impacted the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and diplomatic issues in history. The book approaches these changes in different scales, countries, areas, and perspectives. This edited book appeals to researchers, student, practitioners in various fields from geology and geophysics to history. It is also an important resource for professionals in the oil and gas industry.

This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum has shaped human life since it was first discovered oozing inconspicuously from the soil. For a century, human dependence on petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap crude—a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results in environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization—lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. Considering the nature of oil itself as well as humans’ remarkable relationship with it, Brian C. Black spotlights our modern conundrum and then explores the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, he argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. Bringing his global perspective and wide-ranging technical knowledge, Black has written an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history in this sweeping, forward-looking survey.

The history of the United States of America is also the history of the energy sector. Natural gas provides the fuel that allows us to heat our homes in winter and cool them in summer with the touch of a button or turn of a dial—when the industry runs smoothly. From the oil crisis of the 1970s to the fall of Enron and the California electricity crisis at the turn of the century to contemporary issues of hydraulic fracking, poorly conceived government policies have sometimes left us shivering, stranded, or with significantly lighter wallets. In this expansive narrative, Charles Blanchard traces the rise of natural gas and the regulatory missteps that nearly ruined the market. Beginning in the 1880s, The Extraction State explains how the New Deal regulatory compact came together in the 1920s, even before the Great Depression, and how it fell apart in the 1970s. From there, the book dissects the policies that affect us today, and explores where we might be headed in the near future.

Written by the leading expert in UK petroleum economics, this study provides a new, unique, in-depth analysis of the development of British policies towards the North Sea oil and gas industry from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. Drawing on full access to the UK Government’s relevant archives, Alex Kemp examines the thinking behind the initial legislation in 1964, the early licensing arrangements and the events leading up to the boundary delimitation agreements with Norway and other adjacent North Sea countries. He explains the debate in the later 1960s about the appropriate role of the state in the exploitation of the gas and oil resources, the prolonged negotiations resulting in the early long-term gas contracts, and the continuing debate on the role of the state following the large oil discoveries in the first half of the 1970s resulting in the formation of BNOC (British National Oil Corporation). The debate leading up to the introduction of, and subsequent increase in, the Petroleum Revenue Tax is fully explained as is the introduction of Supplementary Petroleum Duty. The author also outlines the debates around interventionist depletion policies and on how the oil revenues should best be utilised. The Official History of North Sea Oil and Gas will be of much interest to students of North Sea oil and gas, energy economics, business history, and British politics, as well as to petroleum professionals and policymakers.

The third book in the Getenergy Guides series, The Evolution of Four Energy Nations considers how four very different countries have evolved as oil and gas-producing nations and how the interventions of government, industry and the education and training sector have addressed workforce and skills development challenges in each of these countries. This volume will explore – in each case – the historical growth of the industry, the dynamics of the industry today and the projected direction of travel for the industry in the future. Within this context, the volume will examine the nature of the skills and workforce demands that each country has experienced and will analyze the influence of policy initiatives (including those related to the establishment and running of national oil companies), the impact of industry activities, and the role of education and training providers. Each of these four extended case studies will reveal what we can learn from past and recent experiences. The case studies will also explore the extent to which the effectiveness of approaches to skills and workforce development within the oil and gas industry are contextual and what commonalities there are in terms of success factors. The Guide will conclude with a set of observations regarding best (and worst) practices that can inform future interventions in hydrocarbon-producing nations across the world. - Multi-authored by Getenergy's principal collaborators who collectively have more than 100 years of experience in the oil and gas industry - Includes full-color images to underscore key concepts - Focuses on knowledge transfer from experienced oil/gas professionals to national staff - Utilizes specific case studies from Mexico, Nigeria, Brazil, and Iraq to illustrate various approaches to evolution as an oil and gas-producting nation

Starting at the dawn of science, History of Industrial Gases traces the development of gas theory from its Aristotelian roots to its modern achievements as a global industry. Dr. Almqvist explores how environmental protection, geographical areas, and the drive for higher purity and efficiency affected development in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and how they will influence the future of this rapidly expanding industry. The roles of major contributing companies are also discussed to provide an informative and thought-provoking treatise valuable to anyone who studies or works in this fascinating field.