March 29, 1819 – Birthday of Father of the Petroleum Industry
Edwin Laurentine Drake (1819-1880) was born in Greenville, NY. In 1859 near Titusville, PA, he used a steam-powered cable-tool rig to drill America’s first commercial oil well.
Drake would overcome financial & technical obstacles to make “Drake’s Folly” a milestone in energy history. He also pioneered new drilling technologies, including using iron casing to isolate his well nearby Oil Creek. Seeking oil for the Seneca Oil Company for refining into a new product (kerosene) his shallow well created a new industry. Drake made his historic oil discovery on Aug 27, 1859, at a depth of 69.5 ft. http://ow.ly/Xono30ocdI5
