“Black gold”

With petroleum

Without petroleum

With petroleum

Petroleum Products

Spindletop is a salt dome oil field located in Beaumont, Texas.

Native American Indians in the area had been aware of oil seeps for centuries, and used this tar they found at the surface to treat a variety of ailments. Some would even drink the stuff in hopes that it could cure digestive problems. In 1543, Spanish explorers discovered that black, sticky tar found washed up on the beaches along the Texas coast could be used to waterproof their boats.

Pattillo Higgins grew up in Beaumont, Texas and he believed there was oil under the Spindletop salt dome. He started a company to drill for oil on Spindletop and failed several times.

Higgins placed ads in newspapers to find geologists and engineers who were interested in exploring for oil under Spindletop. He found Anthony Lucas an Austrian immigrant who had a background in mine engineering.

After several setbacks: running out of money, needing better equipment, needing a better drilling team, they finally hit oil. January 10, 1901, Lucas hit the largest reserve of oil the world had ever seen.

After Spindletop Oilfield gushed the largest oil reserve the world had ever seen, Howard Hughes Sr. recognized that event as the beginning of a great new industry and immediately established himself in the drilling and contracting business at Beaumont. Hughes saw a need for a drill bit that could penetrate rock. He designed a bit that would chew through rock and became famous. He organized a tool company to manufacture and sell the bit. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhu16

The Spindletop gusher shot oil more than 100 feet into the air for nine days until the well was finally capped. Oil from the gusher formed a large lake. Lake of oil on fire Higgins, Lucas and their team feared the lake of oil would catch fire. They did what they could to prevent it, but it caught fire anyway. The lake of oil burned up but the oil capped oil well was ok.

Soon, “boomtowns” started popping up in Texas where oil was found Soon, “boomtowns” started popping up in Texas where oil was found. A boomtown is a town that experiences a major increase, or boom, in population due to sudden rapid economic growth.

The discovery at Spindletop began the first of many oil booms in Texas. In a matter of weeks, Spindetop was covered with a forest of oil derricks.

The oil boom at Spindletop led to the creation of some 600 oil companies, including later giants such as Texaco, Gulf, and Mobil. By providing a new source of inexpensive, efficient fuel, it also changed the future of transportation and industry.

Oil Refinery

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