THE DRAKE WELL AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES – PETROLEUM GEOLOGY AND EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS

In August 1859, Edwin Drake brought in what is believed to be the first well drilled specifically for oil which sparked the modern oil and gas industry; arguably one of the most successful industries in the history of the world. But aside from the obvious consequence of Drake’s successful well, other unintended consequences followed. Foremost among these has been the creation and development of what is now called petroleum geology and exploration geophysics. Prior to the Drake Well, aside from the search for metal ores and coal mining, there was little interest in understanding subsurface geology, but that soon changed to meet the exploration requirements of this new industry. The early search for oil brought out the diviners, the “creekologists,” and even a medium or two to determine where to drill, and there were a few notable successes. But subsurface geological knowledge was needed to reduce the chances of drilling a dry hole, and this need to for geological details below the surface gave birth to the fields of petroleum geology in the late 19^th century and to exploration geophysics in the 20^th century. This is the story of the people, places, and events involved in the historical development of these fields.