Oil Refinery on EARTH Magazine

Benchmarks: October 9, 1865: First Successful U.S. Oil Pipeline

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:48:38 -0400

"Colonel" Edwin Drake (right) standing in front of the engine house and derrick of his well at Oil Creek, Pa., circa 1861. Credit: Drake Well Museum.

When Americans think of domestic oil, they likely think of Texas, Alaska or California — vast fields of towering derricks and quietly dipping oil pumps. The American oil industry, however, originated on the other side of the country in the forested wilderness of northwestern Pennsylvania. One of the most pivotal moments in the industry’s early history occurred in October 1865, when Samuel Van Syckel completed more than eight kilometers of underground pipe to transport oil from Pithole, Pa., directly to the railroad. From there, it would go on to Oil City, Pa., and then to major industrial centers, like Pittsburgh.

Houston avoids worst of Ike; gas prices jump

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

Hurricane Ike made landfall as a strong Category-2 hurricane early Saturday morning, with sustained winds of 170 kph (110 mph), just shy of a Category 3 storm. NOAA

Hurricane Ike roared into southeastern Texas early Saturday morning as a strong Category-2 storm, with 170 kilometer-per-hour (110 mph) winds. But due to a last-minute veer to the east, the populous region between Galveston and Houston narrowly avoided the worst of the storm.

Oil industries escape Ike's wrath

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

Hurricane Ike’s damage to Gulf Coast oil industries was not as bad as authorities had feared, the Department of Energy stated in a report released Monday.

The report, which compiled accounts from government agencies and oil companies with refineries in the region, noted that oil refineries suffered “minimal damage from Ike and are making preparations to restart operations.” Louisiana’s Department of Natural Resources stated that the “basic infrastructure of the state’s oil and gas industry appears to have weathered the storm with almost no damage." ExxonMobil said its Baytown, Texas, refinery had “limited” damage, although its Beaumont, Texas, refinery was still without power. Valero Energy, the largest refinery in the U.S., cited “no significant structural damage” to its three refineries in the area. Those refineries remain shut down, but they should return to full capacity on the order of days, not weeks, says Bill Day, Director of Media relations at Valero, based in San Antonio, Texas.