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This article on JSTOR talks about the Competitive Oil Market of the late 19th Century. It reflects the early beginnings as well as the death of the crude oil exchange. It also talks about the conflicts oil men would face through crude oil drilling, like competition, workers death, etc. Based on the article it appears that the movie There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, showed these conflicts really well and historically accurate.

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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This article is all about how crude oil is found and produced and where it comes from

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How is crude oil found and produced?

The search for crude oil begins with geologists who study the structure and history of rock layers below the earth's surface to locate areas that may contain deposits of oil and natural gas.

Geologists often use seismic surveys on land and in the ocean to find the right places to drill wells. Seismic surveys on land use echoes from a vibration source at the surface of the earth, usually a vibrating pad under a special type of truck. Geologists can also use small amounts of explosives as a vibration source. Seismic surveys conducted in the ocean rely on blasts of sound that create sonic waves to explore the geology beneath the ocean floor.

If a site seems promising, an exploratory well is drilled and tested. If enough oil is found to make it financially worthwhile to pursue, development wells are drilled. The type of well that is drilled depends on the location, geology, and oil resource.

Advances in drilling and production technologies have increased U.S. oil production

In the past, a drilling rig drilled a single vertical well. Now, many directional or horizontal wells can be drilled from one location, or well pad, to access greater areas of oil- and natural gas-bearing rock.

Oil may flow to the earth's surface from natural pressure in the rock formation, or it may have to be forced out of the ground and up through a well. The type of geologic formation where the oil is located determines the technologies used to start the flow of oil and natural gas from the reservoir or resource-bearing rock into the wells.

Hydraulic fracturing is used to access the oil and natural gas contained in tiny pores of rock formations composed of shale, sandstone, and carbonate (limestone). Hydraulic fracturing breaks up the rock in the formations and creates pathways that allow oil and natural gas to escape from the rock layers. Hydraulic fracturing involves forcing water, chemicals, and sand or other proppants (materials used to keep the pathways open) under high pressure into the wells. Steam, water, or carbon dioxide (CO2) can also be injected into a rock layer to help oil flow more easily into production wells.

After the oil has been collected from wells in a production field, pipelines, barges, trains, or trucks transport the oil to refineries or to ports for shipment on oil tankers to other countries.

Conventional and unconventional production

Production of crude oil and natural gas is sometimes called conventional production or unconventional production. Conventional production generally means that crude oil and natural gas flow to and up a well under the natural pressure of the earth. Unconventional production requires techniques and technologies to increase or enable oil and natural gas production beyond what might occur using conventional production techniques. In the United States, most of the new oil and natural gas production activities on land use unconventional production technologies.

Tight oil production

The U.S. oil and natural gas industry uses the term tight oil to mean the different geologic formations producing oil at a specific well. Tight oil is produced from low-permeability sandstones, carbonates (for example, limestone), and shale formations. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) uses the term tight oil to refer to all resources, reserves, and production associated with low-permeability formations that produce oil, including shale formations.

Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin

Eagle Ford, Austin Chalk, Buda, and Woodbine formations along the Gulf Coast

Spraberry, Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Delaware, Glorieta, and Yeso formations in the Permian Basin

Niobrara formation in the Denver-Julesburg Basin

Page last updated March 10, 2021; U.S. tight oil production-selected plays chart updated on December 15, 2021

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Where our oil comes from in depth - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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The search for crude oil begins with geologists who study the structure and history of rock layers below the earth's surface to locate areas that may contain deposits of oil and natural gas. Geologists often use seismic surveys on land and in the ocean to find the right places to drill wells.

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This article is about an oil well fire that happened in Rouseville, Pennsylvania in 1861. It highlights how unsafe oil drilling was in the early days as well as showing striking resemblance to the oil well fire that took place in the movie.

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Pennsylvania oilfield tragedy led to new safety and firefighting technologies -- and a work of art. The danger involved in America’s early petroleum

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It shows the economic impacts of the oil on societies of how oil wealth it can lead to uncertainty and abuse to power. In the film " there will be blood" the common theme of oil wealth is in the film. This report it helps us understand the actions that were made to have a finical gain and how him wanting this it affects his moral compass and relationships. This report really tells us a lot about the curse of what it is to be apart of the oil industry and how much it can change people and this report shows us the speeding instability in oil producing countries which is really interesting to see.

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THE OIL CURSE: A Remedial Role for the Oil Industry A Remedial Role for the Oil Industry on JSTOR

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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this article speaks on the economic benefits of oil & gas and how it is used all across the USA

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This journal article explains the impact of oil in the United States. Specifically, it discusses events in the west coast and in Texas.

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Texas Metropole: Oil, the American West, and U.S. Power in the Postwar Years on JSTOR

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Karen R. Merrill, Texas Metropole: Oil, the American West, and U.S. Power in the Postwar Years, The Journal of American History, Vol. 99, No. 1, Oil in American History (June 2012), pp. 197-207

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It explores the birth and change of the oil industry and its gradual merging with that of the modern economy. The historical narrative chronicles the ascent of oil as one of the basic resources-turned-ambition and conflicts echoing in the movie. Greed, power, and industrialization are the forebears of both the article and the film, illustrating how the love for wealth corrupts society in extreme cases and is the very cause of many societal problems.

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History of Oil - A Timeline of the Modern Oil Industry

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History of Oil - This history of oil presents a timeline of the modern oil and gas industry from early discoveries to the unconventional era.

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A timeline of significant advancements in technology in the oil extraction and production sectors and the effects of those innovations on the industry. It sets out the overall political and social characteristics of the oil industry-the often contentious competition for resources and the effects on different communities. Knowledge of these matters thus helps viewers appreciate the film's metaphorical portrayal of the power struggle for oil, which can easily be understood as referring to a much broader context of ambition and exploitation in American life.

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Oil (petroleum) timeline - Energy Kids: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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This site is about how technology can effect the way people get there oil. This can be better represented in the film because it shows how manual people would get oil and we see how it can be very dangerous as the father of the boy was killed in an accident when equipment fell on his head.

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Oil (petroleum) timeline - Energy Kids: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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This article explores the idea of how back then people were money hungry and would do anything to get oil. In the movie this can be seen as power hungry since all of the workers would do anything to gain oil so they can be rich.

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History of Oil - A Timeline of the Modern Oil Industry

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History of Oil - This history of oil presents a timeline of the modern oil and gas industry from early discoveries to the unconventional era.

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“The context of technology” This article talks about how technological creation influences societal structures and individual behavior, how new machines changed the oil industry and helped businesses grow.

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Bertram Morris, The Context of Technology, Technology and Culture, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jul., 1977), pp. 395-418

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https://www.jstor.org/stable/

This article discusses the impact of independent oil

entrepreneurs in California, akin to the film's protagonist, and their contributions to the industry's development.

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Steel and Slurry: Dr. Philip M. Lovell, Architectural Patron on JSTOR

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Gary Marmorstein, Steel and Slurry: Dr. Philip M. Lovell, Architectural Patron, Southern California Quarterly, Vol. 84, No. 3/4 (Fall/Winter 2002), pp. 241-270

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This article discusses the impact of independent oil

entrepreneurs in California, akin to the film's protagonist, and their contributions to the industry's

development.

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Steel and Slurry: Dr. Philip M. Lovell, Architectural Patron on JSTOR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gary Marmorstein, Steel and Slurry: Dr. Philip M. Lovell, Architectural Patron, Southern California Quarterly, Vol. 84, No. 3/4 (Fall/Winter 2002), pp. 241-270

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This article talks about how independent oil entrepreneurs in California, like the main character in There Will Be Blood, helped shape the oil industry. These entrepreneurs took big risks, used new drilling methods, and played a key role in growing the industry. Their efforts led to advances in oil extraction, transportation, and business practices, helping turn California into a major oil producer.https://framesofthought.com/movies/there-will-be-blood-analysis

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Introduction: The Essence of There Will Be Blood

"There Will Be Blood" stands as a profound exploration of human ambition, greed, and the ethical quandaries that surface in the pursuit of the American Dream. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and anchored by Daniel Day-Lewis's unforgettable portrayal of the ruthless oilman Daniel Plainview, this film delves into the complexities of character and morality. Through a careful There Will Be Blood analysis, we can uncover the psychological and philosophical layers that inform Plainview's decisions and interactions, as well as the narrative choices that amplify these themes.

This cinematic masterpiece not only reflects the historical backdrop of America's oil boom but also raises questions about the nature of success and its inherent costs. As we unravel the film's commentary on the darker sides of ambition, we will confront questions of identity, purpose, and moral ambiguity, making "There Will Be Blood" an enduring subject for critical discourse.

The Psychology of Greed: Unpacking Daniel Plainview's Character

The Roots of Ambition

Daniel Plainview, portrayed masterfully by Daniel Day-Lewis, embodies the complexities of human greed and ambition. From the beginning, we see him as a determined and single-minded figure, driven by a relentless desire to acquire wealth and power. This pursuit is rooted in his past experiences, particularly his isolation and hardship as a silver miner. The notion that wealth equates to respect and security is a core theme in Plainview's psyche, pushing him to pursue oil drilling with obsessive fervor.

As we analyze Plainview's character, it becomes apparent that his ambition is not merely about riches but also about identity. He seeks to establish himself as a formidable player in the emerging oil industry, positioning himself against not only competitors but also societal expectations. This aggressive ascendancy manifests in his relationships, particularly with his adopted son, H.W. Plainview, as he often prioritizes his business ambitions over familial bonds. His inability to forge genuine connections highlights a fundamental emptiness that accompanies his insatiable drive.

The Duality of Greed and Isolation

Plainview's character also presents a fascinating dichotomy between his outward charisma and inner turmoil. While he projects an image of confidence and control, a deeper sense of paranoia and insecurity lurks beneath the surface. His interactions with others are marked by manipulation and power plays, revealing a psychology steeped in distrust. The more he acquires, the more isolated he becomes, suggesting that his relentless pursuit of success ultimately alienates him from the very society he seeks to dominate.

This aspect of Plainview's character is vividly illustrated in his dynamic with various counterparts throughout the film, such as Eli Sunday, who represents a competing form of ambition rooted in spirituality. The tension between these two characters underscores the idea that different paths to power can lead to conflicting ideologies-one driven by capitalist greed and the other by faith. Their relationship exemplifies the psychological battles that emerge when ambition knows no boundaries.

Consequences of Unchecked Greed

The film serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked ambition and greed. Plainview's journey paints a vivid picture of what it means to be consumed by one's desires. His ruthless tactics, including deception and betrayal, expose a moral deterioration that raises questions about integrity and humanity.

In "There Will Be Blood," the exploration of Daniel Plainview provides an insightful lens through which we can examine the darker aspects of human nature. This There Will Be Blood analysis reveals how ambition, when left unchecked, can lead to despair and disconnection, raising important questions about the essence of success and the price it exacts on the soul.

Existential Philosophy in There Will Be Blood: The Struggle for Meaning

The Quest for Identity

At its core, "There Will Be Blood" delves into existential philosophy, particularly concerning the quest for identity and purpose. Daniel Plainview's relentless pursuit of wealth and power raises significant questions about the meaning of success and what it means to lead a fulfilling life. Unlike many protagonists who seek connection or love, Plainview primarily seeks validation through material gain, illustrating a starkly individualistic philosophy.

This inherent loneliness is palpable throughout the film, as Plainview's intense focus on his ambitions alienates him from those around him. His interactions are transactional, devoid of genuine emotional connection. The film suggests that the drive to dominate-whether economically or socially-often leads to an existential void. Plainview may acquire riches, but his wealth fails to fill the spiritual gap within him, indicating that success devoid of meaning ultimately leads to despair.

Nihilism and Moral Ambiguity

Plainview's character arc is steeped in nihilism, reflecting a worldview where traditional values and morals are absent. His actions throughout the film challenge the notion of a moral compass, leading us to ponder whether success justifies any means necessary. The ethical dilemmas he faces serve as an illustration of existential conflicts where choices oscillate between self-interest and moral responsibility.

This moral ambiguity is particularly evident in his clashes with Eli Sunday, where their conflicting philosophies come to the foreground. Eli represents not only religious faith but also moral conviction, contrasting sharply with Plainview's pragmatism and unwavering ambition. Their encounters force viewers to confront difficult questions about the nature of existence, such as whether an individual can achieve greatness while remaining morally unanchored. This tension serves as a powerful commentary on the human condition and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often prioritizes material over moral worth.

The Absurdity of Existence

The film also explores existential themes related to the absurdity of life. This concept is embodied in Plainview's futile attempts to impose order on the chaotic world around him. No matter how much he accumulates, he ultimately faces the existential truth that life is unpredictable and often unfair. This realization can evoke a sense of despair, resonating deeply with existential philosophers like Albert Camus, who argue that the struggle against the absurd is intrinsic to the human experience.

Daniel Plainview's confrontation with the void of meaning and the absurdity surrounding his existence culminates in a poignant reflection on the cost of ambition. As viewers engage with There Will Be Blood , they are invited to reflect on their own pursuits and the potential emptiness that can accompany a life driven solely by external measures of success.

Morality and Ambition: The Ethical Dilemmas Faced by the Characters

The Cost of Success

In "There Will Be Blood," the intersection of morality and ambition presents a compelling framework for understanding the ethical dilemmas experienced by key characters. Daniel Plainview's drive for success unveils a stark reality: the sacrifices one is willing to make in order to achieve their goals often come with moral implications. Throughout the film, Plainview demonstrates a willingness to manipulate, deceive, and exploit those around him, emphasizing that ambition can cloud one's judgment and moral compass.

The ethical consequences of Plainview's actions become increasingly pronounced as the story unfolds. He faces dilemmas that challenge not only his integrity but also the well-being of those who rely on him. For instance, his relationship with H.W., his adopted son, is complicated by his insatiable quest for power. Rather than nurturing a genuine father-son bond, Plainview's ambition often renders him emotionally unavailable, showcasing the personal costs associated with his ruthless pursuit of success.

The Conflict with Eli Sunday

Another layer to the moral dilemmas depicted in the film emerges through the character of Eli Sunday, a local preacher who grapples with his own ambitions and moral convictions. Eli's character serves as an intriguing foil to Plainview. In contrast to Plainview's materialistic ambitions, Eli embodies spiritual aspirations intertwined with ethical considerations. Their interactions highlight the precarious balance between ambition and morality, as both characters seek to assert dominance in their own realms.

The interaction between these two figures compels viewers to examine the implications of their methods. Eli, although driven by faith, also exhibits manipulation in his quest for power and influence. His attempts to leverage both spiritual and financial gain bring forth questions about authenticity and the moral intricacies of ambition. This competition between a secular and spiritual understanding of ambition raises profound ethical questions about motives and the consequences of one's actions, underscoring the tension between different forms of success.

Forgiveness and Redemption

As both Daniel and Eli grapple with their respective ambitions, the film also addresses themes of forgiveness and the potential for redemption. The ethical dilemmas faced by both characters push them into murky waters, where clear-cut choices are often absent. Ultimately, Plainview's relentless pursuit of power leads to a moral vacuum that complicates his relationships, while Eli's spiritual aspirations reveal the fragility of faith when faced with temptation.

The contrasting paths of these characters invite viewers to reflect on the consequences of ambition on personal identity and integrity. Through its layered storytelling and complex characters, "There Will Be Blood" serves as a profound exploration of the analysis, urging audiences to reconsider the ethical ramifications of ambition in their own lives.

Ending Explained: The Final Confrontation and Its Implications

The Climactic Showdown

The ending of "There Will Be Blood" culminates in a dramatic confrontation between Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday that encapsulates the film's key themes of ambition, power, and moral decay. After a series of increasingly tense interactions, the two finally face off in Plainview's opulent mansion, a physical representation of his hard-won success. This scene serves as a culmination of their conflicting ideologies and ambitions, where the stakes have never been higher.

During this intense exchange, Plainview reveals the depths of his ruthlessness. He candidly admits to Eli that he is a "bloodsucker," stripping away any pretense of morality or connection. This moment crystallizes his existential struggle and the costs of his ambitions. The moment is marked by Plainview's cold demeanor, contrasting sharply with Eli's desperate attempts to reassert his spiritual authority. Instead of finding redemption or reconciliation, Eli is met with violence, culminating in Plainview's shocking declaration to have "drained" Eli of all his life's meaning.

Implications of the Confrontation

The implications of this brutal encounter reverberate through the film's narrative and thematic structure. It underscores the futility of Eli's attempts to undermine Plainview's authority, as the oilman's ambition ultimately prevails over notions of faith and morality. Eli's demise serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked ambition and the extent to which one might go to protect their interests.

Plainview's victory is hollow; it signifies not just superiority over Eli but also his complete moral bankruptcy. The final act reflects the existential emptiness that accompanies a life driven solely by the pursuit of material gain and power. The implications of this confrontation extend beyond the characters, prompting viewers to reflect on the moral compromises inherent in their own aspirations.

A Reflection on Human Nature

The film ends with a chilling sense of ambiguity, leaving viewers with questions about the nature of ambition and its inherent costs. Plainview's actions and mindset reflect a broader commentary on the human condition, illustrating how the quest for power can lead to isolation and despair. His character serves as a symbol of the dark side of the American Dream, where success is often achieved at the expense of humanity and ethical considerations.

As the credits roll, audiences are left pondering the implications of this There Will Be Blood analysis on their own lives. The film invites reflection on the choices individuals make in their pursuit of success and the moral dilemmas that often arise along the way. In essence, it poses a critical question: at what cost is greatness achieved?

Visual Mastery: Narrative Techniques that Enhance the Storytelling

Cinematic Composition

"There Will Be Blood" employs visually striking compositions that serve to reinforce the film's overarching themes of ambition and greed. Paul Thomas Anderson's meticulous attention to detail and framing creates a sense of grandeur that reflects the expansive nature of Plainview's aspirations. The vast landscapes of the American West juxtaposed against the intimate, claustrophobic interiors of Plainview's homes and businesses create a dynamic tension that emphasizes his internal conflict.

The use of wide shots captures the isolation of characters within their environments, often portraying Plainview as a solitary figure dwarfed by the enormity of his ambition. This visual contrast accentuates his relentless drive while simultaneously revealing the emptiness of his pursuits. By carefully crafting each frame, Anderson invites viewers to engage with the psychological burden of ambition that weighs heavily on Plainview throughout the narrative.

Strategic Use of Color and Lighting

Color and lighting also play crucial roles in shaping the emotional landscape of the film. The predominant use of earthy tones and shadows conveys a sense of foreboding, mirroring the moral decay that accompanies Plainview's single-minded quest for power. Darker palettes in critical scenes highlight the severity of the moral choices at play, particularly in relation to his interactions with Eli Sunday, where light often symbolizes truth and faith.

Additionally, the stark contrasts between light and dark visually represent the duality of human nature: the capacity for ambition juxtaposed with the potential for ethical betrayal. This strategic use of color and lighting not only enhances the emotional weight of the narrative but also serves as a visual metaphor for Plainview's internal conflicts, allowing audiences to grasp the darker implications of his choices.

Sound Design and Score

Anderson's collaboration with composer Jonny Greenwood introduces an avant-garde score that adds another layer to the storytelling. The unsettling, minimalist music enhances the atmosphere of tension and dread, echoing Plainview's psychological turmoil. The sonorous strings and dissonant harmonies create a soundscape that mirrors his emotional disintegration and moral degradation.

The juxtaposition of silence and sound heightens the impact of critical moments, drawing viewers into the emotional experience of the characters. This auditory mastery complements the visual storytelling, reinforcing the themes of the film while deepening the audience's engagement with the characters' psychological struggles. The intentional choices in both sound and visuals work harmoniously to elevate the film's narrative, making it a rich subject for There Will Be Blood.

Recommended Reads: Books that Echo the Themes of the Film

For those captivated by the intricate themes of ambition, greed, and the quest for identity presented in "There Will Be Blood," delving into these recommended readings can provide further insight and contemplation on similar issues. Each book not only echoes the film's exploration of human nature but also expands upon its philosophical inquiries.

" The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the allure of the American Dream and the moral decay that often accompanies a relentless pursuit of wealth. Through the tragic tale of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald examines how ambition can lead to emptiness and the disillusionment that follows. The novel serves as a poignant reflection on the societal values of the 1920s and the lengths to which individuals will go to attain their desires.
Buy The Great Gatsby here

" Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy shares thematic parallels with "There Will Be Blood," particularly regarding violence, power, and the human condition. The novel tells the story of a teenager known as "the Kid," who becomes embroiled in a brutal expedition across the American Southwest. McCarthy's vivid prose and philosophical musings on the nature of violence and existence resonate strongly with the film's exploration of moral ambiguity and the consequences of ambition.
Buy Blood Meridian here

" The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand centers around Howard Roark, an architect who embodies individualism and integrity in the face of societal pressures. Roark's unwavering dedication to his vision parallels Daniel Plainview's determination to succeed at any cost. This novel raises important questions about the nature of ambition, the value of personal vision, and the impact of societal expectations, making it a compelling read for those interested in the philosophies underpinning "There Will Be Blood."
Buy The Fountainhead here

" No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy, similar to "There Will Be Blood," confronts the brutality of ambition and moral choices in a lawless landscape. Through its relentless pursuit of a drug deal gone wrong and the ensuing violence, the narrative compels readers to reflect on the consequences of greed and the shifting moral landscape of society. The novel's exploration of fate and existentialism enriches its connection to the themes of ambition and its dark side.
Buy No Country for Old Men here

" The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton examines societal expectations and the impact of ambition on personal relationships. Set in the socially stratified world of New York's elite, the story follows Archer Maynard as he grapples with his desire for freedom and the constraints imposed by society. Wharton's exploration of love, duty, and the consequences of ambition in the context of societal norms provides a thoughtful lens through which to view the ethical dilemmas faced by the characters in "There Will Be Blood."
Buy The Age of Innocence here

Conclusion: Reflecting on the Legacy of There Will Be Blood

"There Will Be Blood" is a cinematic masterpiece that transcends its historical setting to probe the depths of human ambition and moral ambiguity. Through the compelling character of Daniel Plainview, the film presents a profound analysis, inviting viewers to grapple with the psychological and philosophical implications of greed.

The complexity of the narrative forces us to confront the costs tied to ambition, uncovering the dark side of the American Dream. As we reflect on the ethical dilemmas and existential themes presented, we gain a better understanding of our motivations and the potential consequences of our actions in the pursuit of success. Ultimately, Paul Thomas Anderson's film serves as a timeless reminder of the choices that define us and the legacies we leave behind.

Take a look at all our in-depth reviews here.

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There Will Be Blood Analysis: Unraveling Greed and Ambition

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Examine the intricate dance between ambition and moral decay. Discover how the pursuit of power reveals the darkest corners of the human experience.

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This delves into how oil was an important and a necesity back then. For example it was used for Powering industrial machinery, it was important for transportarion etc.

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https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2008/01/-em-there-will-be-blood-em/47757/

This article discusses the economic and social themes in "There Will Be Blood," mainly focusing on the American Dream and the capitalist drive of the protagonist, Daniel Plainview. It explains how the film portrays the ruthless pursuit of wealth and power, reflecting the economic ambitions and social dynamics of early 20th-century America.

https://youtu.be/7KlopLcNC1Y?si=vZFruUsK6h3T8dML

This video essay provides a further analysis of the historical context in which "There Will Be Blood" is set. It covers the early oil industry in the United States, the technological advancements of the time, and the historical figures who inspired the characters. By watching this video, viewers gain a better understanding of the historical and technological backdrop of the film.

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The Atlantic covers news, politics, culture, technology, health, and more, through its articles, podcasts, videos, and flagship magazine.

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This talks about problems and conflicts about drilling for oil caused

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Tyler Priest, The Dilemmas of Oil Empire, The Journal of American History, Vol. 99, No. 1, Oil in American History (June 2012), pp. 236-251

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This article explains the importance and history of oil drilling in the United States. It also cover modern day oil drilling.

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A Brief History of Oil Drilling in the US - MSI

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Delve into the key milestones, innovations, and challenges that have shaped the nation’s oil industry over the years.

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In this article it talks about how in the late 1800s and early 1900s, large amounts of oil were found in California, making it an important place for oil production. Many people came to look for oil, leading to the fast growth of towns and roads. The movie shows this time of big changes, highlighting both the struggles and chances for success that oil workers faced.https://www.jstor.org/stable/41510308

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There Will Be Birds: Images of Oil Disasters in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries on JSTOR

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Kathryn Morse, There Will Be Birds: Images of Oil Disasters in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, The Journal of American History, Vol. 99, No. 1, Oil in American History (June 2012), pp. 124-134

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This article talks about how in the late 1800s and early 1900s, large amounts of oil were found in California, making it an important place for oil production. Many people came to look for oil, leading to the fast growth of towns and roads.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40549575

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Forms of History and Identity in The Nature of Blood on JSTOR

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STEPHEN CLINGMAN, Forms of History and Identity in The Nature of Blood, Salmagundi, No. 143 (Summer 2004), pp. 141-166

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This article talks about how in the late 1800s and early 1900s, large amounts of oil were found in California, making it an important place for oil production. Many people came to look for oil, leading to the fast growth of towns and roads.https://www.jstor.org/stable/40549575

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Forms of History and Identity in The Nature of Blood on JSTOR

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STEPHEN CLINGMAN, Forms of History and Identity in The Nature of Blood, Salmagundi, No. 143 (Summer 2004), pp. 141-166

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This article talks about the oil market in the 1890s. It talks about the challenges the workers would face while drilling and the competition from other companies.

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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This article talks about how the start of drilling oil affected the US economy. It talks about when oil was first drilled and how it took off from there. The invention of the automobile also increased the need for oil.

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This article it tells us about the positive constructions and also talks about the negative impacts and the challenges. It talks about the challenges that the community faces because of the oil industry. It gives us a certain kind of insight about the social dynamics and the conflicts that happened in the film. Like the tension between the community and Daniel.

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The Local Community Impact of the oil and gas industry: Navigating the Social Footprint

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One of the most significant positive impacts of the oil and gas industry is its contribution to economic growth and job creation in local communities.

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There Will Be Blood focuses on the oil boom of the early 20th century. From the moment that the film begins, this idea that industrialization is the most important part of life at this time is extremely self evident. With barely any dialogue, the first scene to me was one of the most powerful that we have seen thus far in the movie. Tents were pitched all over demonstrating the day in and day out dedication to finding oil within the wells. Digging these wells and discovering oil was life for these men at this time because oil equaled money. And in turn it meant they were able to provide for their families. To me, though, the determining factor for just how important the oil was to them was the camera focusing in on the baby, (whom we later know to be H.W., Daniel Plainfield’s son,) sitting in a bucket crying after the men had all left to begin to pull up the buckets of oil. Immediately, I felt sorry for the baby, and then I came to the realization that although he was crying because he was left alone in a bucket with little attention being paid to him, the reason that he had to be there was so that his father could provide for him. In order for industrialization to progress, this work was necessary

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In the film, “there will be blood”; it portrays how peoples life were affected by the rise of industrialization and oil boom of the early 20th century. The main character of the the film Daniel Plainview was ordinary digger who was struggling to find a oil. In the early part of the movie, it shows how Daniel’s life was affected tremendously because of the rise of industrialization and oil boom in the early 20th century. Just like Daniel Plainview, many people started to using steam engines and mechanic to use in their work and tries to make a profit out of it. Daniel eventually becomes very successful man because he finds rich oil site and later on he even tries to make more profit by buying the land off  Paul Sunday. While Daniel Plainview starts using men to work for him, accident occurs when the drill fails to work and it drops on worker, therefore killing him. This shows how industrialization brought wealth but it brought misfortune and death to some people. Finding wealth with help of industrialization was big success for some, but it was dangerous and risky gamble for many others.

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There Will Be Blood | History 1000: American Society and the Individual, Fall 2013 | Page 2

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To survive in the agrarian era, people burned wood for warmth and cooking. In addition to use as a building material, wood remained the chief global fuel for centuries.The invention of the first modern steam engine, at the beginning of the 18th century, heralded the transformation from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

Steam engines could be powered by either wood or coal, but coal quickly became the preferred fuel and it enabled massive growth in the scale of industrialization.

A half-ton of coal produced four times as much energy as the same amount of wood and was cheaper to produce and, despite its bulk, easier to distribute.

Coal-fired steam locomotives dramatically reduced the time and cost of inland transportation, while steamships traversed oceans. Machines powered by coal enabled breakthroughs in productivity while reducing physical toil.

With the dawn of the 20th century, environmental concerns and new technologies led to another energy source shift from coal to oil.

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History of Oil - A Timeline of the Modern Oil Industry

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History of Oil - This history of oil presents a timeline of the modern oil and gas industry from early discoveries to the unconventional era.

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One of the most significant positive impacts of the oil and gas industry is its contribution to economic growth and job creation in local communities. Exploration, drilling, and extraction operations provide employment opportunities for a diverse range of skilled and unskilled workers, bolstering local economies and fostering financial stability.

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The Local Community Impact of the oil and gas industry: Navigating the Social Footprint

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One of the most significant positive impacts of the oil and gas industry is its contribution to economic growth and job creation in local communities.

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This article discusses how much the rising oil prices affected the economy in the 2000s.

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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This article talks about the recent advancements that they have made in the oil industry to help get and distribute oil more effectively.

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The oil and gas industry has always been at the forefront of technological advancements, constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability. As the energy demand continues to grow, industry has embraced various technological advancements to extract, refine, and distribute oil and gas resources more effectively. In this blog, we will discover some of the significant technological advancements that have revolutionized the oil and gas industry.

Digitalization and Automation

One of the most significant advancements in the oil and gas industry is the digitalization and automation of various processes. Digitalization enables real-time monitoring and analysis of production data, allowing for proactive maintenance and optimization of operations. Automated drilling systems, such as the use of robotic drilling rigs and autonomous drilling control systems, have revolutionized drilling operations.

The oil and gas industry is embracing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science to tackle intricate challenges across all stages of their operations, from upstream to midstream and downstream.

This innovative approach empowers petroleum engineers and managers in the oil and gas sector to uncover and implement fresh ideas for exploration and production directly in the field, ultimately driving greater return on investment (ROI).

Advanced Exploration and Production Techniques

Technological advancements have also greatly impacted exploration and production activities in the oil and gas industry. Another game-changing advancement is the implementation of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. This technique involves injecting fluids at high pressures into rock formations to create fractures, allowing for the extraction of previously inaccessible oil and gas resources.

Fracking has significantly increased the production of oil and gas, transforming the energy landscape and unlocking vast reserves that were previously uneconomical to exploit.

The adoption of robotics and drones has significantly transformed various aspects of the oil and gas industry. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are increasingly used for aerial inspections of infrastructure, such as pipelines and offshore platforms. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors can detect leaks, identify structural defects, and monitor vegetation growth, providing real-time visual data to operators.

Robotic systems are employed in hazardous environments, reducing the risks to human operators. They can perform tasks such as pipeline inspection, maintenance, and repairs, minimizing the need for human intervention in potentially dangerous situations.

The oil and gas business is also undergoing a significant transformation with the integration of renewable energy sources. The industry is investing in renewable technologies such as solar power, wind energy, and geothermal energy to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability. Renewable energy systems are being deployed in remote oil and gas fields to power operations, reducing the reliance on traditional fossil fuel-powered generators.

Moreover, renewable energy technologies are sufficiently being used to generate electricity for offshore platforms, replacing the need for diesel generators. This not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also lowers operational costs in the long run. The integration of renewable energy into the oil and gas industry reflects a growing commitment to a more sustainable energy future.

In a Nutshell

The oil and gas industry continues to witness remarkable technological advancements that enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. These advancements have transformed the industry from digitalization and automation to advanced exploration techniques, robotics, and renewable energy integration and paved the way for a more efficient and sustainable energy landscape.

As technology continues to evolve, the oil and gas industry will undoubtedly embrace further innovations to address future challenges and contribute to global energy security.

How Prismecs can help you to achieve these advancements in the oil and gas industry?

Prismecs is the leading specialty services provider for the oil and gas sector. We provide top-notch oil and gas services for our global clients. With robust oil and gas supply chains and "boots on the ground" E and P expertise, our team keeps operators at peak production no matter the market dynamics.

We offer comprehensive cutting-edge solutions that can revolutionize the oil and gas industry with their advanced data analytics and predictive maintenance capabilities. Moreover, their state-of-the-art remote monitoring technology allows for real-time data collection and analysis, enabling proactive decision-making and minimizing downtime.

Prismecs empowers oil and gas companies to achieve unprecedented advancements in productivity, sustainability, and profitability. So call us today at 18887747632 or you can email us at sales@prismecs.com so that we can give you further insight into our services.

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Top Five Technological Advancements in the Oil and gas industry

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As the demand for energy continues to grow, industry has embraced various technological advancements to extract, refine, and distribute oil and gas resources more effectively.

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The article is about the impact that the oil industry causes in the USA. How to benefit from industrialization.

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The 19th century was a period of great change and rapid industrialization. The iron and steel industry spawned new construction materials, the railroads connected the country and the discovery of oil provided a new source of fuel. The discovery of the Spindletop geyser in 1901 drove huge growth in the oil industry. Within a year, more than 1,500 oil companies had been chartered, and oil became the dominant fuel of the 20th century and an integral part of the American economy.

Many of the early explorers of America encountered petroleum deposits in some form. They noted oil slicks off the coast of California in the sixteenth century. Louis Evans located deposits along the eastern seaboard on a 1775 map of the English Middle Colonies.

Did you know? In 1933, Standard Oil secured the first contract to drill for oil in Saudia Arabia.

Settlers used oil as an illuminant for medicine, and as grease for wagons and tools. Rock oil distilled from shale became available as kerosene even before the Industrial Revolution began. While traveling in Austria, John Austin, a New York merchant, observed an effective, cheap oil lamp and made a model that upgraded kerosene lamps. Soon the U.S. rock oil industry boomed as whale oil increased in price owing to the growing scarcity of that mammal. Samuel Downer, Jr., an early entrepreneur, patented "Kerosene" as a trade name in 1859 and licensed its usage. As oil production and refining increased, prices collapsed, which became characteristic of the industry.

The first oil corporation, which was created to develop oil found floating on water near Titusville, Pennsylvania, was the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company of Connecticut (later the Seneca Oil Company). George H. Bissell, a New York lawyer, and James Townsend, a New Haven businessman, became interested when Dr. Benjamin Silliman of Yale University analyzed a bottle of the oil and said it would make an excellent light. Bissell and several friends purchased land near Titusville and engaged Edwin L. Drake to locate the oil there. Drake employed William Smith, an expert salt driller, to supervise drilling operations and on August 27, 1859, they struck oil at a depth of sixty-nine feet. So far as is known, this was the first time that oil was tapped at its source, using a drill.

Titusville and other towns in the area boomed. One of those who heard about the discovery was John D. Rockefeller. Because of his entrepreneurial instincts and his genius for organizing companies, Rockefeller became a leading figure in the U.S. oil industry. In 1859, he and a partner operated a commission firm in Cleveland. They soon sold it and built a small oil refinery. Rockefeller bought out his partner and in 1866 opened an export office in New York City. The next year he, his brother William, S. V. Harkness, and Henry M. Flagler created what was to become the Standard Oil Company. Flagler is considered by many to have been nearly as important a figure in the oil business as John D. himself.

Additional discoveries near the Drake well had led to the creation of numerous firms and the Rockefeller company quickly began to buy out or combine with its competitors. As John D. phrased it, their purpose was "to unite our skill and capital." By 1870 Standard had become the dominant oil refining firm in Pennsylvania.

Pipelines early became a major consideration in Standard's drive to gain business and profits. Samuel Van Syckel had built a four-mile pipeline from Pithole, Pennsylvania, to the nearest railroad. When Rockefeller observed this, he began to acquire pipelines for Standard. Soon the company owned a majority of the lines, which provided cheap, efficient transportation for oil. Cleveland became a center of the refining industry principally because of its transportation systems.

When product prices declined, the ensuing panic led to the beginning of a Standard Oil alliance in 1871. Within eleven years the company became partially integrated horizontally and vertically and ranked as one of the world's great corporations. The alliance employed an industrial chemist, Hermann Frasch II, to remove sulfur from oil found at Lima, Ohio. Sulfur made distilling kerosene very difficult, and even then it possessed a vile odor-another problem Frasch solved. Thereafter, Standard employed scientists both to improve its product and for pure research. Soon kerosene replaced other illuminants; it was more reliable, efficient, and economical than other fuels.

Eastern cities linked to the oil fields by rail and boat boomed also. The export trade from Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore became so important that Standard and other companies located refineries in those cities. As early as 1866 the value of petroleum products exported to Europe provided a trade balance sufficient to pay the interest on U.S. bonds held abroad.

When the Civil War interrupted the regular flow of kerosene and other petroleum products to western states, pressure increased to find a better method of utilizing oil found in such states as California. But Standard exhibited little interest in the oil industry on the West Coast before 1900. In that year it purchased the Pacific Coast Oil Company and in 1906 incorporated all its western operations into Pacific Oil, now Chevron.

Edward L. Doheny located Los Angeles's first well in 1892, and five years later there were twenty-five hundred wells and two hundred oil companies in the area. When Standard entered California in 1900, seven integrated oil companies already flourished there. The Union Oil Company was the most important of these.

Operating difficulties plus the threat of taxation on its out-of-state properties led to the creation of the Standard Oil Trust in 1882. In 1899 the trust created Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), which became the parent company. The trust controlled member corporations principally through stock ownership, an arrangement not unlike that of the modern-day holding company.

The tremendous growth of Standard did not occur without competition. Pennsylvania producers engineered the creation of an important competitor, the Pure Oil Company, Ltd., in 1895. This concern endured for more than a half century.

In 1901 one of the largest and most significant oil strikes in history occurred near Beaumont, Texas, on a mound called Spindletop. Drillers brought in the greatest gusher ever seen within the United States. This strike ended any possible monopoly by Standard Oil. One year after the Spindletop discovery more than fifteen hundred oil companies had been chartered. Of these, fewer than a dozen survived, principally the Gulf Oil Corporation, the Magnolia Petroleum Company, and the Texas Company. The Sun Oil Company, an Ohio-Indiana concern, also moved to the Beaumont area as did other firms. Other oil strikes followed in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado and Kansas. Oil production in the United States by 1909 more than equaled that of the rest of the world combined.

Many smaller companies developed outside the Northeast and the Midwest where Rockefeller and his associates operated. Oil found at Corsicana, Texas, in the 1890s attracted a remarkable Pennsylvanian, Joseph S. ("Buckskin Joe") Cullinan, who organized several small companies. He later moved to Spindletop where he became instrumental in the organization of the Texas Company, soon a major competitor of Standard. Henri Deterding, creator of the Royal Dutch-Shell Group in Holland and Great Britain, moved into California in 1912 with his American Gasoline Company (Shell Company of California after 1914).

As Standard Oil grew in wealth and power, it encountered great hostility not only from its competitors but from a vast segment of the public. Standard fought competition by securing preferential railroad rates and rebates on its shipments. It also influenced legislatures and Congress through tactics that, though common in that era, were unethical. Nor was the company's handling of labor any better.

In 1911 the Supreme Court declared that the Standard Trust had operated to monopolize and restrain trade, and it ordered the trust dissolved into thirty-four companies. That the trust's share of the industry had declined from 33 to 13 percent the Court held to be of little consequence. The splitting-off of the Standard affiliates proved difficult. Some marketed, some produced, some refined, and these concerns quickly moved toward vertical integration of their businesses. But the 1911 decision ensured that though the industry might have giants, they at least competed with one another.

Increasing sales of gasoline first for automobiles and then for airplanes in the early 1900s came as oil discoveries across the United States mounted. The oil industry had a vast new market for what had been for many years a useless by-product of the distilling process. As soon as the internal combustion engines created demand, refiners sought better methods to produce and improve gasolines.

Before its entry into World War I, the United States contributed oil to the Allies, and in 1917 the oil companies cooperated with the Fuel Administration. At war's end executives who had served with that agency created the American Petroleum Institute (1919), which in time became a major force in the economy and the business.

Although the U.S. oil industry had marketed abroad extensively before the war, it owned few foreign properties. Judging from government surveys, many producers believed that a major oil shortage would soon occur. Both Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover and Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes began to pressure American companies to seek oil abroad. These firms invested in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America and searched for oil everywhere while they continued to export quantities of oil from the United States.

The individual who focused attention back on the United States was Columbus Marion ("Dad") Joiner. Joiner became convinced that some flatlands in an East Texas basinlike structure contained oil. He obtained a lease near Tyler, Texas, and on October 5, 1930, after having drilled two dry holes, struck perhaps the largest oil pool ever found in America. It lay beneath 140,000 acres and contained 5 billion barrels. H. L. Hunt, an oil entrepreneur, bought Joiner's leases and later sold them to oil companies at a profit of $100 million, thereby adding to his already substantial fortune.

In a sense the Joiner strike came at an inopportune time; it was the onset of the Great Depression. The price of oil plummeted to ten cents a barrel in 1931, creating chaos in the industry. But some New Deal measures restored a modicum of prosperity, and then World War II stimulated the oil business enormously.

The various oil strikes focused attention on a legal situation unique to the United States. Land ownership carried with it rights to all subsoil minerals, termed the common law "right of capture." Oil companies, like other mineral companies, negotiated with each landowner for drilling rights. This right of capture continued for years despite the efforts of such industry giants as conservation-minded Henry L. Doherty of Cities Service Oil Company, who sought to institute oil field unitization. The right of capture ensured early exhaustion of oil fields and tragic waste of a valuable energy source. Wallace E. Pratt, a geologist and longtime Jersey Standard leader, has estimated that by releasing the natural gas that often underlies petroleum pools and by using poor production techniques, oil producers have wasted at least 75 percent of the oil and natural gas found to date in the United States.

World War II made the oil industry a key American resource. Oil company research and executive leadership played major roles in the conflict. Research increased the number of products made from petroleum and natural gas, including the explosive tnt and artificial rubber. The Jersey-Dupont jointly owned product, tetraethyl lead, upgraded gasoline to improve airplane speed. Oil tankers supplied gasoline for the Allies at great risk from submarine attacks. The government rationed gasoline and controlled prices during the war. In the last analysis the war ended the delusion that American supplies of crude were unlimited, so that the industry and the securing of oil became a top priority for both foreign and domestic policy.

When the war ended, the United States faced the problem of stabilizing the peace. Over the next forty-five years numerous major crises occurred, in many of which oil played a key role. Europe underwent a coal shortage, the first energy crisis, immediately after the war. The Marshall Plan, created to solve that and other problems, was hampered by the first Iranian crisis of 1950-1954. From the 1956 Suez crisis to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, oil proved to be the most important consideration in America's Middle Eastern policy. The United States sought to balance support for the new state of Israel against the pressures of the oil producers, mostly Arab, united in 1960 as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( opec). This proved increasingly difficult as the United States became steadily more dependent on imported oil. In the United States the standard of living based on cheap oil continuously rose and the public, accustomed to this way of life, resisted all conservation measures. The United States continues to consume about two-thirds of the world's oil production. Oil should be considered the keystone of the standard of living in the United States and to a large degree its rank as a world power.

Part of the energy problem after 1940 resulted from the depletion of domestic oil reserves during World War II-around 6 billion barrels. In the Vietnam struggle experts contend the United States supplied about 5 billion barrels of oil, although great quantities of that came from Middle Eastern properties owned by American companies. Certainly the total for both wars represents a quantity larger than either that of the great East Texas oil field or possibly that discovered on Alaska's North Slope in 1967. After the 1960s, as domestic production declined and demand soared, the oil industry had to import vast quantities from the Middle East and Venezuela. The nation's key energy source increasingly hinged on balancing diplomatic relations with Arab oil-producing nations while continuing its aid to Israel.

While the United States was blessed with plentiful supplies of oil its growth to the rank of a great power accelerated. In today's world as an oil-dependent power it must find alternate sources of energy or accommodate drastic changes in its way of life and position in the world.

Paul H. Giddens, The Birth of the Oil Industry (1938); Ralph W. and Muriel E. Hidy, Pioneering in Big Business, 1882-1911 (1955); Bennett H. Wall et al., Growth in a Changing Environment: A History of Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), 1950-1972, and Exxon Corporation, 1972-1975 (1988); Daniel Yergin, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power (1990).

Bennett H. Wall

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The 19th century was a period of great change and rapid industrialization. The iron and steel industry spawned new construction materials, the railroads connected the country and the discovery of oil provided a new source of fuel. The discovery of the Spindletop geyser in 1901 drove huge growth in the oil industry.

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this article talks about the rise and fall of oil in la it describes problems that happens and why it fell

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Oil in the City: The Fall and Rise of Oil Drilling in Los Angeles on JSTOR

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Sarah S. Elkind, Oil in the City: The Fall and Rise of Oil Drilling in Los Angeles, The Journal of American History, Vol. 99, No. 1, Oil in American History (June 2012), pp. 82-90

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this article talks about how the oil industry is a monopoly, it also talks about how hard it is to get into the industry because of how scarce oil is

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Economic Scarcity: Forget Geology, Beware Monopoly on JSTOR

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David L. Greene, Economic Scarcity: Forget Geology, Beware Monopoly, Harvard International Review, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Summer 1997), pp. 16-19, 65-66

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oil played a big role in making the america we know today. oil helped the us gain world supremacy in the 20th century. control for oil lead to wars and major world conflicts

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David S. Painter, Oil and the American Century, The Journal of American History, Vol. 99, No. 1, Oil in American History (June 2012), pp. 24-39

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The article looks at how oil was a big part of shaping the United States foreign policy during and after WWII. The author argues that oil helped America's economic and military dominance. In the book it also talks about how the US got oil supplies from the Middle East and had relations with key oil companies.

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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This article talks about how the oil industry had a very big impact on Texas culture and society. A main point it talks about is how different oil discoveries changed Texas from a primarily agrarian state into an industrial state. This oil boom impacted economic structure, urban development, cultural identity and more.

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For Texans, the 20th century did not begin on January 1, 1901, as it did for everyone else. It began nine days later, on Jan. 10, when, spurting drilling pipe, mud, gas and oil, the Lucas No. 1 well blew in at Spindletop near Beaumont.

The gusher spewed oil more than 100 feet into the air until it was capped nine days later. With that dramatic fanfare, Texas' economy was wrenched from its rural, agricultural roots and flung headlong into the petroleum and industrial age.

In the last two decades of the 19th century, railroads had made sweeping changes in the lives of many of Texas' mostly rural, mostly agrarian citizens and forever altered the face of the state. Settlements formed around temporary railroad-workers' camps. Speculators created brand-new towns out of virgin prairie beside the gleaming rails. And existing communities that were bypassed by the tracks often curled up their municipal toes and died unless they were willing to pick up businesses, homes and churches and move to the rails.

The arrival of railroad transportation expanded Texas farmers' and ranchers' markets by providing faster and cheaper shipping of products. Cattle raisers were no longer forced to trail their herds long miles to railheads in the Midwest. In their classic Texas history text, Texas, the Lone Star State, Rupert Richardson, Ernest Wallace, and Adrian Anderson summarized it this way: " ... railroads were the key to progress and prosperity at the end of the 19th century."

When oil came gushing into Texas early in the 20th century, the changes were even more profound. Petroleum began to displace agriculture as the principal engine driving the economy of the state, and Texans' lives were even more drastically affected than they had been by railroads.

The impact of oil on Texas and Texans is often analyzed in terms of corporate development, personal and corporate wealth, and the overall economy of the state and politics. Oil also dramatically affected the lives of those who owned the land from which oil was produced, or who were directly involved in oil exploration, extraction and processing. The discoveries of oil fields led to the founding and flourishing of numerous Texas towns, to the establishment of companies that have become multinational conglomerates, and to the amassing of vast personal fortunes.

Conversely, the playing out of pumped-out oil fields led to the death of any number of those once-flourishing towns. Betting fortunes on what turned out to be dusters resulted in the bankruptcies of companies and individuals.

However, Texas oil has affected the lives of millions of Texans not directly involved in the oil business - Texans who receive neither a paycheck nor a royalty check based on petroleum. Oil has profoundly changed the culture of the state, and it continues to affect most Texans' lives in ways that may not be obvious to the casual observer.
Early Oil Discoveries
The presence of natural oil seeps in Texas had been known for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived in the area. Indians in Texas are said to have told European explorers that the substance had medicinal uses. In July 1543, the remnants of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto's expedition, led by Luis de Moscoso Alvarado, were forced ashore along the Texas coast between Sabine Pass and High Island. Moscoso reported that the group found oil floating on the surface of the water and used it to caulk their boats.

Lyne T. Barret drilled Texas' first producing oil well in 1866 at Melrose in Nacogdoches County. The following year, Amory Reily Starr and Peyton F. Edwards brought in a well at nearby Oil Springs. Other wells followed, making Nacogdoches County the site of Texas' first commercial oil field, first pipeline and first effort to refine crude. Several thousand barrels of oil were produced, but the price of oil was not high enough to justify further efforts at development. While drilling for water in 1886, Bexar County rancher George Dullnig found a small quantity of oil, but he did not attempt commercial production.

City crews in Corsicana were also drilling for water in 1894, when they made the first economically significant oil discovery in Texas. That well was abandoned because the drillers needed to find water, not oil. But several producing oil wells were drilled in 1895 by Joseph S. Cullinan, who later helped found the Texas Company, which became Texaco. The first well-equipped refinery in Texas was built at this field, and despite the early efforts at Nacogdoches, it is usually called Texas' first refinery.
Spindletop
The oil discovery that jump-started Texas' transformation into a major petroleum producer and industrial power was Spindletop. Exploration in the area of the upper Gulf Coast near Beaumont had begun in 1892. After drilling several dry holes, Louisiana mining engineer and oil prospector Capt. Anthony F. Lucas drilled the discovery well of the Spindletop field. Initially, the Lucas No. 1 produced more than an estimated 75,000 barrels of oil a day. Peak annual production was 17.5 million barrels in 1902.

Spindletop, which was also the first salt-dome oil discovery, triggered a flood of speculation in the area, resulting in several other significant discoveries. The boom included an influx of hundreds of eager wildcatters - including former Governor James Stephen Hogg - lusting after a piece of the action, as well as thousands of workers looking for jobs. Right behind them came a tidal wave of related service, supply and manufacturing firms, such as refineries, pipelines and oil-field equipment manufacturers and dealers. It was California's fabled Gold Rush of 50 years earlier repeated on the Texas Gulf Coast with rotary drill bits and derricks instead of pick axes and gold pans.

The boom turned into a feeding frenzy of human sharks: scores of speculators sniffing out a quick buck; scam artists peddling worthless leases; and prostitutes, gamblers and liquor dealers, all looking for a chunk of the workers' paychecks.

Within three years, several additional major fields were developed within a 150-mile radius of Spindletop; Sour Lake, Batson and Humble were among them.

Companies were soon established to develop the Gulf Coast oil fields. Many of them became the industry giants of today: Gulf Oil; Sun Oil Company; Magnolia Petroleum Company; the Texas Company; and Humble Oil, which later affiliated with Standard Oil of New Jersey and became Esso, then today's Exxon. Refineries, pipelines and export facilities became the nucleus of the major industrial region that began to form along the Texas coast around Port Arthur and Beaumont. The New Handbook of Texas summarizes the effect of Spindletop in this way: "The discovery of the Spindletop oil field had an almost incalculable effect on world history, as well as Texas history. Eager to find similar deposits, investors spent billions of dollars throughout the Lone Star State in search of oil and natural gas. The cheap fuel they found helped to revolutionize American transportation and industry."

Texas oil production was 836,039 barrels in 1900. In 1902, Spindletop alone produced more than 17 million barrels, or 94 percent of the state's production. As a result of the glut, oil prices dropped to an all-time low of 3 cents a barrel, while water in some boom towns sold for 5 cents a cup.

Oil in North Texas
Between 1902 and 1910, oil fever spread through North Central Texas, with finds at Brownwood, Petrolia and Wichita Falls.

Water-well drillers on the W.T. Waggoner Ranch in Wichita County in 1911 found oil instead, creating the Electra field. In 1917, W.K. Gordon, general manager of the T&P Coal Company's mines at Thurber, discovered the Ranger field nearby. Ironically, the wealth of oil at Ranger, and elsewhere in the state, encouraged railroads to switch their locomotives from coal to oil and helped kill the coal-mining town of Thurber.

Oil was found west of Burkburnett in Wichita County in 1912, followed by another oil field in the town itself in 1918. The feverish activity that followed inspired the 1940 movie Boom Town, starring Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr.

The boom-town phenomenon became common across the state: The infrastructures of small farming communities near oil discoveries were inadequate to the demands of the population explosions. They hadn't sufficient lodging or eating establishments for the sudden influx. Newcomers were forced to live in hastily erected shacks, tents or even their cars or trucks. Since some of those drawn to oil fields by dreams of riches brought their families, schools became overcrowded. There were lines at cafes, at post-office counters, everywhere.

Unexpectedly heavy traffic on the often-unpaved streets created massive clouds of dust during dry weather - dust that invaded every corner and settled on every surface. In wet weather, the streets became vehicle-swallowing mudholes.

During the 1920s, there were discoveries near Mexia in Limestone County and more in Navarro County. Oil was discovered in the Panhandle starting in 1921, and major fields were developed all across the state during the next decade - East Texas, west-central Texas and additional fields in the Gulf Coast.
Biggest of Them All - East Texas
In October 1930, the Daisy Bradford No. 3 well blew in near Turnertown and Joinerville in Rusk County, opening the East Texas field, the biggest field of all. Veteran wildcatter C.M. (Dad) Joiner drilled the well on land long rejected by major companies' geologists as not worthy of their efforts. The biggest leasing campaign in history ensued, and the activity spread to include Kilgore, Longview and many points north. Overproduction soon followed, as oil derricks sprouted thick as bamboo all over the field. With no well-spacing regulations and no limits on production, the price of oil nosedived again.

On Aug. 17, 1931, Gov. Ross S. Sterling ordered the National Guard into the East Texas field, which he placed under martial law. This drastic action was taken after the Texas Railroad Commission had been enjoined from enforcing production restrictions. After more than two years of legal battles, most East Texas operators accepted proration, the system of regulation still utilized.

By the time the East Texas field was developed, Texas' economy was powered not by agriculture, but by petroleum.
Oil's Ripple Effects
Gradually, the oil glut began to affect ordinary Texans.

Soon after Spindletop, the availability of an ocean of cheap oil encouraged its use as fuel for transportation and manufacturing. After railroads converted from coal to oil, steamships followed, led by those operating in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

As automobiles became more common, roads began to be paved across the state.

Mechanization of farm work increased quickly, enabling farmers to produce more food with fewer people. Manufacturing plants developed in the formerly agricultural state, using cheap oil as fuel. Texas' population scales, heavily weighted toward the rural before Spindletop, started to balance, and by 1940, the population was almost even: 55 percent rural and 45 percent urban. World War II tipped the scales, however, when wartime jobs at manufacturing plants in the cities lured large numbers of people from farms and small towns. Most never returned.

This displacement of farming families was exacerbated by the absorption of many family farms into large corporate operations. Increasing numbers of migrants from other states and foreign countries also settled principally in urban centers. By 1980, the state was four-fifths urban.

As of Jan. 1, 1997, State Data Center population estimates indicate that of the state's population (19,598,471), more than one-third was concentrated in the three largest counties: Harris (3,178,995), Dallas (2,032,171) and Bexar (1,342,934).
State Government Tax on Oil Production
Another change brought about by the discovery of oil was the enrichment of the state treasury after the legislature authorized an oil-production tax in 1905. The first full year the tax was collected, the public coffers swelled by $101,403. By 1919, the revenue from the oil-production tax was more than $1 million; by 1929, it was almost $6 million. In 1996, the last year for which we had figures at press time, it was just short of $376 million for the fiscal year.
Oil Benefits to Texas Higher Education
Many thousands of students attending Texas universities have benefited from oil. The boon that they have enjoyed began with Mirabeau B. Lamar, known as the "Father of Texas Education." During his tenure as president of the Republic of Texas, he urged the Texas Congress to appropriate public domain to support education. In 1839, the Congress set aside 50 leagues (221,400 acres) of land for the endowment of a university. (Land was also set aside in a separate endowment for public elementary and secondary schools.) In 1858, the university endowment was increased to 1 million acres, with the stipulation that the endowment be good agricultural land.

However, the writers of the Constitution of 1876 evidently felt there was no need to appropriate arable land for an as-yet-nonexistent university. The first million acres in the endowment were located in Schleicher, Crockett, Terrell, Pecos, Upton, Reagan and Irion counties in arid far-west Texas.

When the University of Texas opened in 1883, the legislature added a second million acres in Andrews, Crane, Culberson, Dawson, Ector, El Paso, Gaines, Hudspeth, Loving, Martin, Ward and Winkler counties. The fledgling university was backed by an endowment of a vast amount of land of extremely dubious value.

Around the turn of the century, the University's Bureau of Economic Geology began exploring the possibility of finding oil and gas on University Lands. In 1916, although most other geologists disagreed, the University's Dr. Johan A. Udden reported that oil could be found lying atop an underground fold of rock that was believed to run from the Marathon area through Pecos County and into Upton and Reagan counties.

Though erroneous, Udden's theory led to the first major oil discovery in the West Texas Permian Basin. The Santa Rita No. 1, discovery well of the Big Lake Field, blew in on May 28, 1923, in Reagan County. It was drilled on University Lands by Frank Pickerell and Carl G. Cromwell of Texon Oil and Land Company.

Within a year, there were 17 producing wells in the Big Lake Field, and the University of Texas was on its way to becoming a very wealthy school.

The Santa Rita continued to produce oil until it was finally plugged in 1990.

The University of Texas had built few permanent, substantial buildings before the Santa Rita began producing. Most of the campus was covered by shacks, which housed classrooms, labs, gymnasiums and other campus facilities. When the oil money started flowing, however, it triggered a building boom that produced many of the structures that are still used by the University.

In 1931, the legislature split the net income of the Permanent University Fund, with two-thirds going to the University of Texas and one-third to Texas A&M University.

The income was further split in 1984, when the legislature voted to include all the institutions in the University of Texas System, not just the main university at Austin, and the entire Texas A&M University System.

The Permanent University Fund, which receives all revenue from oil, gas, sulfur and water royalties; increases in investments; rent payments on mineral leases; and sales of university lands, is one of the largest university endowments in the world. The mineral income on University Lands from 1923 through fiscal 1998 has been $3.146 billion. Investment return in the same period has been $8.163 billion.

The net income from interest and dividends from those investments plus the revenue from grazing leases on University Lands comprise the Available University Fund. The total amount of money paid to the universities from the AUF from 1923 through fiscal 1998 was $4.792 billion. These distributions help pay for construction bonds and contribute to the education and general revenues. As of August 31, 1998, the market value of the PUF was more than $6.517 billion.
Oil Benefits to Public Schools
Texas public schools have benefited from oil, as well. In 1839, the Congress of the Republic appropriated from the public domain three leagues of land (one league is about 4,400 acres) to each county for public schools. The following year, they increased each county's allotment by one league. Public-school land grants from this source totaled more than 4 million acres. To encourage construction of railroads, the legislature in 1854 granted lands to railroad companies; the amount of land was based on the miles of track that each company laid. The legislature also required the railroads to allot alternate sections of their land grants to the public schools.

Finally, in the Constitution of 1876, the Texas legislature granted half the unappropriated public domain to the public schools, which amount included the alternate sections of the railroad grants. More than 42 million acres were earmarked for public schools by this provision.

The Permanent School Fund was established under rules similar to those guiding the Permanent University Fund. While most of the money in the Permanent School Fund has come from land sales, the fund retained mineral rights on more than 7 million acres of school lands. The land-sales moneys have been augmented by mineral royalties. The investment fund at the end of fiscal year 1997 totaled just under $15.5 billion. Interest drawn from the Permanent School Fund is paid into the Available School Fund, from which it is paid to the public-school districts based on average daily attendance. The total amount paid in fiscal 1997 by the PSF to the ASF from all sources was almost $692.7 million. Of that total, a bit less than $3 million could probably be attributed to oil-related sources.
Philanthropy from Black Gold
Thousands of Texans have been touched by Texas' black gold through the philanthropy of people who have made fortunes from its discovery, production and processing.

Institutions all over the state in many different fields - health research and hospitals, education, social services, fine arts, and engineering and technology research - have benefited from the wealth and generosity of petroleum millionaires. Ordinary Texans have reaped the rewards of such gifts through the programs of those institutions.

There have been far too many petroleum philanthropists to list them all in this article. A representative few, however, will suggest the great good that has been done for the residents of Texas by people who pumped their money out from under Texas dirt.
Eclectic Givers
Some philanthropists have donated to eclectic arrays of programs and institutions: Algur Meadows, major stockholder and chairman of the board of General American Oil Company for many years, established the Meadows Foundation in 1948. The foundation has given generously - and continues to donate - to a wide range of programs throughout Texas, primarily in the health, education, visual arts, social services and historic-preservation areas. Meadows himself endowed a museum of Spanish art at Southern Methodist University, and he willed much of his private art collection to the Dallas Museum of Art.

Hugh Roy Cullen, called "King of the Wildcatters" and who made major oil discoveries in the Houston area, gave large gifts to the University of Houston, the Texas Medical Center, and the Gonzales Warm Springs Foundation (originally a hospital specializing in the treatment of victims of pediatric polio). He also made significant contributions to Houston arts organizations, the Boy Scouts and the YMCA. He established the Cullen Foundation in 1947 to direct contributions to a variety of charities.

Also founded in 1947 was the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. Richardson was an independent oil producer with headquarters in Fort Worth. His foundation's gifts have been primarily in support of health, medicine, education and the Sid Richardson Collection of Western Art, open free to the public in its own Fort Worth museum. His great-nephews, the Bass brothers of Fort Worth - Ed, Sid, Robert and Lee - and their parents Perry and Nancy Lee, carry on the family tradition. The most recent and most visible Bass contribution is the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, opened in May 1998.

Walter William Fondren got his start in oil in the Corsicana field before the turn of the century, later becoming one of the founders of Humble Oil. Major gifts from the Fondren Foundation have gone to health and educational facilities, including Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern University, Methodist Hospital of Houston and the Methodist Home for Orphans at Waco. Robert Everett Smith, in the oil-field supplies business as well as drilling in the East Texas field, gave to a variety of causes in the fields of health and medicine, social services, education and the arts, including the Houston Symphony, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Harris County Association for the Blind, Methodist Hospital of Houston, Southern Methodist University and Southwestern University.
Supporters of Fine Arts and Literature
Several oil millionaires have supported mainly the fine arts and literature: Everette Lee DeGolyer of Dallas was active in petroleum exploration and production and in technological development, largely through Amerada, Texas Instruments and Texas Eastern Transmission. He and his wife supported the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and other Dallas-area musical groups. DeGolyer was also a collector of rare books; he donated 89,000 volumes of his personal collection to university libraries. He was one of the main financial backers of Texas Country Day School in Dallas, which became St. Mark's School of Texas. In 1942, DeGolyer rescued the Saturday Review, the greatly respected national literary magazine, from a serious financial crisis. DeGolyer had become friends with Norman Cousins, who was named editor at the height of the crisis. DeGolyer became publisher and subsidized the magazine until it regained its economic feet.

Dominique Schlumberger de Menil, whose father was founder of Schlumberger, the multinational oil-exploration engineering firm, and her husband John de Menil, an executive in the company, collected more than 10,000 works of art. In 1954, they formed The Menil Foundation in Houston to oversee the Menil Collection, a museum that showcases their art collection.

Nina Cullinan and Sarah Campbell Blaffer, daughters of early oil entrepreneurs, have generously supported many fine-arts organizations - Cullinan primarily in the Houston area, and Blaffer across the state.

Nina Cullinan's father, Joseph S. Cullinan, developed the Corsicana field and built Texas' first commercial oil refinery there, was a founder of Magnolia Petroleum and helped organize the Texas Company. Nina Cullinan was a supporter of many Houston arts entities, among them the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, Houston Museum of Fine Arts and other art museums, as well as health and parks organizations.

Sarah Campbell Blaffer, daughter of another of the founders of the Texas Company and wife of one of the founders of Humble Oil, acquired an extensive art collection. She donated many original works to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and she established the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation to send art exhibits on tours across the state.
Local Philanthropy
Some philanthropists have preferred to keep their charity mostly close to home: Popularly known as "Uncle Gash," J.G. Hardin gave to Texas educational institutions, but he also provided funds for many community needs around Wichita County, where he had made his fortune in the Burkburnett oil boom. He donated land for playgrounds and contributed to several church buildings, to retiring public-school bonds and for a new electric-power plant. Hardin provided funds to establish Hardin Junior College, the forerunner of Midwestern State University, in Wichita Falls. Other colleges that benefited from Hardin's generosity included Baylor Female College (now Mary Hardin-Baylor) in Belton, Simmons College (now Hardin-Simmons University) in Abilene, Abilene Christian College (now Abilene Christian University) and Howard Payne College (now Howard Payne University) in Brownwood. He also sent more than two dozen young people through college and threw a financial lifeline to half a dozen colleges during the Depression.

Edgar Byram Davis made a fortune in the shoe business in Massachusetts, then made another in rubber plantations, all by shortly after the turn of the century. With his brother as partner, Davis found oil in the Luling field in Caldwell County in the early 1920s. He built a golf course, several athletic clubhouses and various other facilities for the citizens of Luling. He also established a demonstration farm to help improve agricultural production in the area. He gave away so much money that he was almost broke when he died.

Ruth Legett Jones, an Abilene native, and her husband Percy acquired vast amounts of land in west-central Texas on which oil was discovered. The foundation she established gave funds primarily to organizations in the Abilene area, including Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry College, Abilene Christian University, West Texas Rehabilitation Center and Hendrick Medical Center. The foundation also built parks and swimming pools and helped finance college educations for many black Abilene students, as well as supporting ecological, medical and historical research.

George T. Abell of Midland was a self-taught geologist who made a fortune as an independent oil producer. Through their Abell-Hanger Foundation, established in 1954, he and his wife Gladys were major supporters of Midland-area organizations concerned with higher education, youth activities, cultural programs, health services and social welfare.

Albert and Mamie George established the George Foundation in 1945 to direct their contributions in similar fields in their home county of Fort Bend. Much of their fortune came from oil and gas fields that were discovered on their ranch in the 1920s and 1930s.

Although Amon G. Carter of Fort Worth was primarily a newspaper publisher, the Amon G. Carter Foundation he established in 1945 was funded by the sale of oil interests. The most public of the foundation's responsibilities is the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, which opened in 1961. Its collection was built around a nucleus of Carter's extensive holdings of art by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Also benefiting from foundation funds are other charities in Fort Worth and Tarrant County in the fields of the arts, education, health care, social and human services, and programs for youth and the elderly.

Much of Jake and Nancy Hamon's generosity has gone to Dallas-area charities. Hamon got his start in the East Texas oil field. Together the Hamons were major supporters of the arts in Dallas, and Nancy Hamon has continued the tradition since her husband's death in 1985. In the last decade alone, she has made major contributions to the Dallas Zoo for a gorilla habitat, to Southern Methodist University for an arts library, to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for several medical-research facilities and to the Dallas Museum of Art for a major building addition. The Dallas Theater Center and the Dallas Symphony, among others, have also received gifts.

Don Harrington, an Amarillo oilman, and his wife Sybil supported many charities in the Panhandle. Through the Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation, founded in 1951, they generously gave to hospitals and health-care agencies, cultural programs, higher education, youth agencies, social services and civic affairs. Among their major beneficiaries were the Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center; the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum at Canyon; a science museum in Amarillo; and the Harrington Library Consortium, a computerized network of libraries of the city of Amarillo, Amarillo College, Texas Tech Medical School, West Texas A&M University and many small Panhandle towns. Mrs. Harrington also was the largest individual donor to New York's Metropolitan Opera in the company's history.
Supporter of History
Although Governor James Hogg did not live long enough to see oil discovered on family property near West Columbia in the 1920s, his children did. His daughter Ima established the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at The University of Texas. She also gave her Houston mansion, Bayou Bend, and its collection of early American art and antiques to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. She presented the restored Hogg family home near West Columbia to the state of Texas; it is now the Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historical Park. She also restored the Winedale Inn, a 19th-century stagecoach stop near Round Top, and gave it to the University of Texas. It is now the focus of the Winedale Historical Center, which is used for the study of Texas history.
Gifts For Scientific Research
Tom Slick Jr., whose father drilled the discovery well for a large Oklahoma oil field in 1912, carried on the family's involvement in oil exploration and production. The younger Slick had a lifelong interest in science and engineering. In 1947, he established the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. The SwRI does leading-edge research for corporations and the government in a wide range of areas - from materials and techniques for constructing stronger bridges to more effective methods for disposing of nuclear waste to making biocidal paints that prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
Supporter of Environmental Protection
Robert Hughes Welder, a cattleman and wildlife conservationist, provided in his will for the establishment of the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation and Refuge. Although Welder was primarily a cattleman, the foundation is supported by income from oil and gas leases. The 7,800-acre refuge, formally dedicated in 1961, is eight miles northeast of Sinton in San Patricio County. Teacher-training programs are offered at the refuge, and the foundation grants fellowships and other aids to graduate students and researchers.
Texas Oil's Cultural Influence
Today, oil is no longer the predominant force behind Texas' economic development. However, in the century since Spindletop roared to life on the Texas Gulf Coast, oil has touched the lives of many Texans, and it continues to provide benefits to residents of the Lone Star State, as well as to people throughout the country.
- written by Mary G. Ramos, editor emerita, for the Texas Almanac 2000-2001.
The author wishes to thank historians Roger M. Olien, Ph.D., J. Conrad Dunagan Chair in Regional and Business History, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, and Diana Davids Olien, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in History, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, for their help in presenting this material accurately. Any errors are the author's own.

Sources

* Barnhill, J. Herschel, From Surplus to Substitution: Energy in Texas; American Press, Boston, 1983.

* Berry, Margaret C., The University of Texas: A Pictorial Account of Its First Century; University of Texas Press, Austin and London, 1980.

* Crawford, Mary G., " A History of West Texas," Texas Almanac 1990-1991; The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, 1989.

* House, Boyce, Were You in Ranger?; Tardy Publishing Company, Inc., Dallas, 1935.

* Jordan, Terry G., with John L. Bean Jr. and William M. Holmes; Texas: A Geography; Westview Press, Boulder and London, 1984.

* McComb, David G., Houston: A History; University of Texas Press, Austin, 1981.

* Presley, James, Saga of Wealth; The Rise of the Texas Oilmen; Texas Monthly Press, Austin, 1983 (orig. pub. by Putnam, New York, c. 1978).

* Texas State Historical Association, The New Handbook of Texas; TSHA, Austin, 1996.

* Weaver, Bobby D., " Black Gold: Oil Development in Texas," Texas: A Sesquicentennial Celebration, Donald W. Whisenhunt, ed.; Eakin Press, Austin, 1984.

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Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

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For Texans, the 20th century began on January 10, when oil was discovered at Spindletop.

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A period piece set between 1898 and 1927, this film follows the rise of oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, played by Day-Lewis. Using the people around him, including his adopted son H.W., Plainview creates a likable front image in order to buy up land in Southern California to mine for oil. In his selfish journey to become a powerful oil baron, Plainview’s slow descent into madness becomes more apparent. Alongside the journey of Plainview’s descent into corruption, he meets Eli Sunday, played by Dano. In a few ways, Eli acts as a perfect foil in the eyes of Daniel Plainview, someone who exists to get in his way and drive influence away from his oil tycoon.

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Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and released back in December 2007, the period thriller "There Will be Blood" is often regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. Loosely based on the 1926 novel "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair, the film serves as a completely unique experience to other contemporary releases, as well as a showcase to acting powerhouses such as Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano.

A period piece set between 1898 and 1927, this film follows the rise of oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, played by Day-Lewis. Using the people around him, including his adopted son H.W., Plainview creates a likable front image in order to buy up land in Southern California to mine for oil. In his selfish journey to become a powerful oil baron, Plainview's slow descent into madness becomes more apparent. Alongside the journey of Plainview's descent into corruption, he meets Eli Sunday, played by Dano. In a few ways, Eli acts as a perfect foil in the eyes of Daniel Plainview, someone who exists to get in his way and drive influence away from his oil tycoon.

The absolutely brilliant performance by Day-Lewis casts him perfectly as an eerie, egotistical and deeply cynical businessman so passionate about growing his business that he will perform or sacrifice anything and anyone to get his way. The journey that Plainview takes is met with the brazen sacrifice of many people in his personal life, which in his eyes ultimately serves as a stepping stone to achieve impossible wealth.

What makes Day-Lewis's portrayal of Plainview so enthralling is the ability to show glimpses of humanity in the aftermath of such heinous actions, showcasing a man who has achieved many things but has too far crossed the line. The name of the film , "There Will Be Blood , " implies blood being spilled for a capitalist empire to grow.

Dano's performance as Eli Sunday is almost on par with that of Day-Lewis, portraying a young, deeply religious preacher who asks Plainview for money to build a church on the same land as his oil drill. Plainview's implied hatred of religion is seen prominently throughout the film, and his back and forth between Eli and himself eventually boils over into an incredibly climactic and intense final scene in which Plainview beats Eli over the head with a wooden bowling pin, a scene in which serves allegorically as a bridging point, where prominent American influence ultimately transitions from more religious institutions to that of capitalist institutions.

The film is also elevated heavily with some gorgeous cinematography by longtime Anderson collaborator Robert Elswit, that showcases the early 20th century southern Californian landscapes flawlessly. When an oil rig malfunctions in the film's first half, the camerawork showcases some breathtaking shots of the oil rig on fire, painting a dark, orange reflection onto Plainview that makes the oil on his face appear like blood. The cinematography is mixed with an excellent score by Johnny Greenwood that paints the film with an eerie and sinister edge.

"There Will Be Blood" is often considered to be Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus. It excels in presenting amazing performances, cinematography and music that visualizes early 20th America's transition into a capitalist society like no other film of its kind.

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"There Will Be Blood" paints the rise of American capitalism

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Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and released back in December 2007, the period thriller "There Will be Blood" is often regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. Loosely based on the 1926 novel "Oil!"

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The article is about the history of the industry and the impacts that had. Also how the technology demands increase with the industrialization.

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Research Guides: Oil and Gas Industry: A Research Guide: History of the Industry

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This guide covers the business of oil and gas for researchers interested in the history, regulations, production, transportation and storage, marketing and distribution, statistical sources, and company research.

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this article talks about how there is an "oil curse" where it could be caused by bad management or bad productions.

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THE OIL CURSE: A Remedial Role for the Oil Industry A Remedial Role for the Oil Industry on JSTOR

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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this article talks about how big oil was in the old times by WW1 to WW2 and how they used it and needed. IT talks about the benefits on how they used and how the cons are about using it.

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JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

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This articles is about how oil progressed in the United STates. It highlights numerous of the safety concerns as well as the history. It speaks about the oil tycoons that ran America in the beginning, resembling the same one Daniel had.

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We highlight the complete visual history of Standard Oil Company in this infographic.

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This one speaks about how the oil was ran back then during the 1900s. It speaks about the business aspect of the oil and then the economy of the oil. It is a very good source to gauge how Daniel would be working outside of the main conflict of the movie.

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this article is speaking about the impact oil has made on the us economy. from 2000 to 2003 the price for oil was between 23-28 dollars a barrel in september of 2005 it raised to 67 dollars. this was during the recession and effected a lot of the economical status of the country. This shows how important oil is to the impact of the economy. this can be related to the economy of the timeline in there will blood

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Martin Weale, OIL AND THE ECONOMY, National Institute Economic Review, No. 194 (October 2005), pp. 4-7

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this article talks about how The film stars Daniel day lewis as silver prospector-turned-oilman Daniel Plainview, who relentlessly pursues profit amid the late 19th- and early 20th-century southern California oil boom.

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Jordana Rosenfeld Jordana Rosenfeld is a copy editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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There Will Be Blood | Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Thomas Anderson, Upton Sinclair, Oil, Awards, & Facts | Britannica

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There Will Be Blood is an American period drama film released in 2007 that was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and is loosely based on the first 150 pages of Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel Oil! The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as silver prospector-turned-oilman Daniel Plainview, who relentlessly pursues profit amid the late 19th- and early 20th-century southern California oil boom. It is widely regarded as one of the best films of the early 21st century.