There are arguments over where and when the first oil well in these United States. I like the story the Chamber of Commerce of Caldwell, Ohio, has. They tell of Robert McKee finding a "deer licking" in 1814 that had prospects of producing salt. They dug a ways in the earth and found a salty brine mixed with oil. The oil was no good to them but they tried to get salt out of the mess. With little success this project ceased. The little oil pool is still proudly displayed in Caldwell.
George Bissell of New Hampshire struck oil on August 27, 1859 at a depth of 69 feet! Most of the early wells were shallow by our standards today. With better equipment and sensing devices drillers go deeper and deeper. I wonder what they will do if they start getting smoke and heat up through the pipes!
Here is the latest and the deepest. BP has tapped into a petroleum reserve that may be the largest we have ever found. It could hold from 4 to 6 billion barrels of oil. Getting it to the surface and to shore offers a monumental challenge. The Tiber Prospect, as it is named, is 250 miles southeast of Houston in United States waters in the Gulf Of Mexico. How deep is the well? Are you ready for this? It is 35,055 feet!! Again, estimates say it may produce 300,000 barrels a day. How does that compare with Saudi Arabia? The Ghawar Field produces 5 million barrels a day!
The search for oil continues while we also search for new sources of energy. Giant windmills now dot the coastland here in South Texas. I am getting in on the ground floor of selling wooden shoes. Ann is thinking of growing tulips. We need some dike builders.