This Week in Petroleum History, January 5 – 11

by Bruce Wells | Jan 5, 2026 | This Week in Petroleum History

January 7, 1864 – Oilfield Discovery at Pithole Creek –

The once-famous Pithole Creek oilfield discovered in Pennsylvania by a well drilled by the United States Petroleum Company — reportedly located by using a witch-hazel dowser. The discovery well, which initially produced 250 barrels of oil a day, made headlines and created the boomtown Pithole five years after the first U.S. oil well at nearby Titusville. (more…)