Anthony Francis Lucas

Anthony Francis Lucas (September 9, 1855–September 2 1921) was responsible for the first successful oil well at the Spindletop oil field in Southeast Texas, which made Beaumont, Texas one of the first oil boomtowns.

Spindletop

In 1899, Lucas became drilling contractor and leased the land south of Beaumont, Texas from the oil explorer Pattillo Higgins. He believed that the site - Spindletop hill south of Beaumont - was covering a vast pool of crude oil. Drilling began in late 1900 but was extremely difficult. At the depth of 60 m, a layer of sand was found. Later the equipment, (a new rotating hydraulic drilling), collapsed upon reaching a depth of approximately 275 m. Since able to deal with technical difficulties on his own but short on money, Lucas asked for help John Rockefeller, the one of the Standard Oil. Rockefeller denied the assistance but persuaded John H. Galey and James M. Guffey of the Mellon family from Pittsburgh, (Pennsylvania), to join the project. Finally, after reaching the depth of 370 m, in 10.30 in the morning of January 10 1901, gas eruption occurred followed by the stream of crude oil reaching the height of 60 m. The eruption lasted nine days and was stopped by one of Lučić's device, invented before.

Related Topics:
1899 - Beaumont - Pattillo Higgins - Spindletop hill - 1900 - M - John Rockefeller - Standard Oil - John H. Galey - James M. Guffey - Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania - January 10 - 1901 - Gas - Eruption

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Lucas Gusher, (also called the Lucas Spindletop Gusher), produced around 14 000 t of oil a day. The occasion witnessed by about 50 000 spectators was the earliest mass exploitation of the crude oil, in the entire world. Soon, the black gold rush began, and entrepreneurs from all over poured into Texas. The city population mushroomed from 8 000 to 60 000 within a year. With 1902 as many as 285 wells were operating on Spindletop Hill and over 600 oil companies had been chartered. Lucas possessed just a tiny share in company he helped to establish. Because this and other reasons at the end of 1901 he left the company.

Related Topics:
T - Exploitation - Crude oil - Gold rush - 1902 - Spindletop Hill

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The discovery revolutionized world fuel use and transformed the economy of Southeast Texas. It did help the development of the just recently invented automobile, and it's manufacturing since significant amount of new energy needed for the new kind of transportation became available. With time, the city of Houston become national center of the oil industry, and the United States surpassed Russia as the world's leading producer.

Related Topics:
Economy - Automobile - Manufacturing - Energy - Transport - Time - Houston - Center - Oil industry - Russia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His broad knowledge of geology enabled him to differentiate prospective fields from those considered unsuitable for exploration. He learned about natural properties of petroleum reservoirs, (also mineral deposits), and is also considered to be the founder of modern petroleum reservoir engineering. He later served as a consulting engineer in Romania, Russia, Mexico, Algeria, and United States. As successful businessman and undisputed expert in mining, Lucas was the life long chairman of an American Committee for Oil and Gas.

Related Topics:
Geology - Mineral deposits - Reservoir - Romania - Russia - Mexico - Algeria - United States - Chairman

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~