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In 1859, “Colonel” Edwin L. Drake and the Seneca Oil Company struck oil in the Venango Oil Field near Titusville, PA. The Drake Well started producing about 40 barrels of oil a day. From such humble beginnings the petroleum industry developed. August 27, 2009 will mark the 150th anniversary of the Drake Well discovery. The Oil 150 Celebration commemorating this event will be a seventeen month celebration from August 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009.

The Drake Well near Titusville, Pennsylvania represents the start of the life-changing events that would not be possible without petroleum. From plastics to medicines, from kerosene to jet-fuel, from mascara to Vaseline, from the oils that lubricate our machines to the asphalt we drive on, most aspects of our lives are impacted by the petroleum industry.

The refining of kerosene from oil dramatically changed the course of everyday life by providing an economical, safe, and widely available illuminant to light up the night throughout the world. The refining of gasoline from oil has dramatically changed the course of transportation, commerce, and warfare throughout the world. Achievements by the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company, the Seneca Oil Company, and “Colonel” Edwin L. Drake at Drake Well ignited a triumph of American ingenuity, inventiveness, and diligence in developing new technologies, new business models, and new industries which remain an inspiration for Americans.

The celebration of Oil 150 creates a unique opportunity for the United States to focus on the historical significance of oil-related events leading up to and following August 27, 1859. The Celebration will recognize the important discoveries and innovations that span across America and around the globe.

The Celebration will acknowledge achievements in all functions of the industry including exploration & production, refining, transportation & storage, marketing, and business organization.

The Celebration will incorporate the very close parallel development of the natural gas industry. This Celebration is not about a single event, but rather a century and a half of oil and natural gas industry development.

Purposes of the Celebration

• Increase worldwide awareness of the sesquicentennial of oil.
• Increase national public knowledge and understanding of the significance of the early oil & natural gas industry developments in Pennsylvania.
• Educate the public on the petroleum industry’s development.
• Educate the public on the social & economic benefits the industry has brought to the nation.
• Enhance interest in oil history & oil-related education fields.
• Increase tourism at oil-related sites.

Responsibilities of the OIL 150 Steering Committee

• Assemble financial resources
• Create and lead partnerships
• Coordinate an awareness campaign
• Educate
• Generate publicity
• Encourage individuals and organizations to conduct commemorative activities
• Maintain a web site and national calendar of events
• Maintain a speakers bureau
• Represent the Celebration nationally