1920s-1940s Nylon, acrylics, and polyester are developed An assortment of new compounds derived from byproducts of the oil-refining process enter the market. Three of the most promising new materials—synthesized from the hydrocarbon ethylene—are polystyrene, a brittle plastic known also as styrofoam; polyvinyl chloride, used in plumbing fixtures and weather-resistant home siding; and polyethylene, which is flexible inexpensive, and widely used in packaging. New synthetic fibers and resins are also introduced, including nylon, acrylics, and polyester, and are used to make everything from clothing and sports gear to industrial equipment, parachutes, and plexiglass. 1920s-1940s New compounds derived oil-refining byproducts enter market An assortment of new compounds derived from byproducts of the oil-refining process enter the market. Three of the most promising new materials—synthesized from the hydrocarbon ethylene—are polystyrene, a brittle plastic known also as styrofoam; polyvinyl chloride, used in plumbing fixtures and weather-resistant home siding; and polyethylene, which is flexible, inexpensive, and widely used in packaging. New synthetic fibers and resins are also introduced, including nylon, acrylics, and polyester, and are used to make everything from clothing and sports gear to industrial equipment, parachutes, and plexiglass. 1921 Lead added to gasoline Charles Kettering of General Motors and his assistants, organic chemists Thomas Midgley, Jr., and T. A. Boyd, discover that adding lead to gasoline eliminates engine knock. Until the 1970s, when environmental concerns forced its removal, tetraethyl lead was a standard ingredient in gasoline.
1928 Portable offshore drilling By mounting a derrick and drilling outfit onto a submersible barge, Texas oilman Louis Giliasso creates an efficient portable method of offshore drilling. The transportable barge allows a rig to be erected in as little as a day, which makes for easier exploration of the Texas and Louisiana coastal wetlands. More permanent offshore piers and platforms had been successfully operating since the late 1800s off the coast of California near Santa Barbara, where oil seepage in the Pacific had been reported by Spanish explorers as early as 1542. 1928 Portable offshore drilling By mounting a derrick and drilling outfit onto a submersible barge, Texas oilman Louis Giliasso creates an efficient portable method of offshore drilling. The transportable barge allows a rig to be erected in as little as a day, which makes for easier exploration of the Texas and Louisiana coastal wetlands. More permanent offshore piers and platforms had been successfully operating since the late 1800s off the coast of California near Santa Barbara, where oil seepage in the Pacific had been reported by Spanish explorers as early as 1542. 1930s New process increases octane rating gasoline U.S. refineries take advantage of a new process of alkalinization and fine-powder fluid-bed production that increases the octane rating of aviation gasoline to 100. This becomes important in the success of the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. 1936 Catalytic cracking introduced French scientist Eugene Houdry introduces catalytic cracking. By using silica and alumina-based catalysts, he demonstrates not only that more gasoline can be produced from oil without the use of high pressure but also that it has a higher octane rating and burns more efficiently. 1942 First catalytic cracking unit is put on-stream The first catalytic cracking unit is put on-stream in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by Standard Oil, New Jersey. 1947 Platforming invented German-born American chemical engineer Vladimir Haensel invents platforming, a process for producing cleaner-burning high-octane fuels using a platinum catalyst to speed up certain chemical reactions. Platforming eliminates the need to add lead to gasoline.
1947 First commercial oil well out of sight of land A consortium of oil companies led by Kerr-McGee drills the world’s first commercial oil well out of sight of land in the Gulf of Mexico, 10.5 miles offshore and 45 miles south of Morgan City, Louisiana. Eleven oil fields are mapped in the gulf by 1949, with 44 exploratory wells in operation. 1947 First commercial oil well out of sight of land A consortium of oil companies led by Kerr-McGee drills the world’s first commercial oil well out of sight of land in the Gulf of Mexico, 10.5 miles offshore and 45 miles south of Morgan City, Louisiana. Eleven oil fields are mapped in the gulf by 1949, with 44 exploratory wells in operation. 1955 First jack-up oil-drilling rig The first jack-up oil-drilling rig is designed for offshore exploration. The rig features long legs that can be lowered into the seabed to a depth of 500 feet, allowing the platform to be raised to various heights above the level of the water. 1960s Synthetic oils Synthetic oils are in development to meet the special lubricating requirements of military jets. Mobil Oil and AMSOIL are leaders in this field; their synthetics contain such additives as polyalphaolefins, derived from olefin, one of the three primary petrochemical groups. Saturated with hydrogen, olefin-carbon molecules provide excellent thermal stability. Following on the success of synthetic oils in military applications, they are introduced into the commercial market in the 1970s for use in automobiles. 1970s Mud pulse telemetry Teleco, Inc., of Greenville, South Carolina, and the U.S. Department of Energy introduce mud pulse telemetry, a system of relaying pressure pulses through drilling mud to convey the location of the drill bit. Mud pulse telemetry is now an oil industry standard, saving millions of dollars in time and labor.
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