Description
Book SynopsisTraces the ever-evolving relationship between science and industry and reveals the unsuspected role geology played in shaping our understanding of the history of oil
Trade Review"[
Finding Oil] expands considerably our understanding of oil development in the southern plains."—Brian C. Black,
Journal of Southern History "As oil became more difficult, more expensive, and riskier to find, investments in the training and employment of professional geologists made economic sense to practical oil men bent on creating global scientific knowledge of the best places to explore.
Finding Oil is an excellent introduction to this fascinating history."—Joseph A. Pratt,
Journal of American History"Approachable and well-written."—Jordan P. Howell,
Journal of Historical Geography"Frehner has found a story worth telling and has told it well."—John W. Stockwell Jr.,
Leading Edge"
Finding Oil deserves a secure place on the bookshelves of oil history scholars and buffs. But it should also appeal to anyone interested in the history of the natural sciences, the relationship between nature and culture, and the intersections between business, technology, and the environment."—Tyler Priest,
Annals of Wyoming "Effectively illustrated and thoroughly footnoted, with an extensive bibliography and a complete index, the book provides an intelligent readership with an appreciation for the temporal and technical aspects of early petroleum geology."—W. C. Peters,
CHOICETable of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part 1. Local Knowledge
1. Vernacular Authority in the Oil Field
2. Collaborative Authority: Nineteenth-Century Foundations of Petroleum Geology
Part 2. Contested Knowledge
3. Shared Authority: Practical Oil Men and Professional Geologists
4. Institutional Authority: Field Work, Universities, and Surveys
Part 3. Appropriated Knowledge
5. Geology Organized: Henry L. Doherty's Technological System
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
