317:. Lucas noted, "This mound attracted my attention on account of the contour, which indicated possibilities for an incipient dome below, and because at the apex of it there were exudations of sulphuretted hydrogen gas. This has suggested to me, in the light of my experience at Belle Isle, that it might prove a source of either sulphur or oil, or both." Lucas then signed a lease agreement with the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company, and a separate agreement with Higgins.
285:, natural gas, and oil deposits. In Lucas' words, "This led me to study the accumulation of oil around salt masses, and I formed additional plans for prospecting other localities. Thus I began my investigations into the occurrence of oil on the Coastal Plain." In 1898, Lucas mined salt on Grand Côte, Weeks Island, and Anse la Butte, having by then become an expert on
298:
354:
After reaching the depth of 1,139 feet (347 m), on 10 January 1901, mud and water erupted followed by a stream of crude oil reaching 150 feet (46 m). The eruption lasted nine days, flowing between 70,000 and 100,000 barrels per day, before the Lucas Gusher was finally brought under control.
31:
507:. A museum with a granite obelisk was built to honor the explorer about which is inscribed: "On this spot on the tenth day of the twentieth century a new era in civilization began." A street and an elementary school in
351:, allowing Lucas to drill three wells 1,200 feet (370 m) deep. Lucas also retained 12.5 percent of the deal. Galey further recommended that the Hamill brothers, Al, Curt, and Jim, drill the well.
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242:
then in use. In 1883, he started working in the
Colorado, California and North Carolina gold, copper, silver and iron mining industries. He changed his name to Anthony Francis Lucas, receiving his
855:
362:. Yet, tiring of his loss of privacy, in May 1901, Lucas sold his stock in the Guffey Petroleum Company, and continued his scientific search for oil in the United States and Mexico.
254:
in 1888, where Lucas worked as a mechanical and mining engineer, except for a two year break prospecting for gold in
Colorado. Their son Anthony FitzGerald was born on 21 July 1889.
621:
175:, and his wife Giovanna Giovanizio. According to Lucas himself, who was proud of his heritage, the Luchich family was pure Montenegrin by blood, descended from ancient
324:
from
Louisiana, Lucas began his well in August or September 1899, reaching a depth of 250 feet (76 m) in Dec. At a depth of 575 feet (175 m), the
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In 1936, the
American Institute for Geological and Metallurgical Investigations founded the Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal for development in the area of
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and the Texas State
Mineral Survey, endorsed Lucas' dome theory, and wrote a letter of introduction to John H. Galey. Galey, with his partner
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The Lucas Gusher helped revolutionize world fuel use and transformed the economy of southeast Texas. It helped further the development of the
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183:) nobility, and he sometimes called himself in society events "Count Anthony Giovanizio de Bertuchevich Lucas". Born in the
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711:"AIME Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal* | The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers"
408:, as well as in the United States. As a successful businessman and expert in mining, Lucas was the lifelong
803:
120:
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339:, but to no avail. Lucas received an opportunity when Dr. William Battle Phillips, geologist for the
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Christened
Antonio Francesco Luchich, he was the son of Captain Francis Stephen Luchich, a prosperous
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Giant Under the Hill, A History of the
Spindletop Oil Discovery at Beaumont, Texas in 1901
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Giant Under the Hill. History of the
Spindletop Oil Discovery at Beaumont, Texas, in 1901
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A number of Lucas inventions and scientific or technical knowledge were used in early
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159:. This led to the widespread exploitation of oil and the start of the Petroleum Age.
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214:, and became an engineer. After graduating from the Austrian Naval Academy of
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Linsley, Judith Walker; Rienstra, Ellen Walker; Stiles, Jo Ann (June 2008).
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Lucich-Lucas Goes to
America, Antun Lučić declaring himself as Croatian
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since significant amounts of energy were needed for fuel. The city of
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Anthony
Francis Lucas is considered to be the founder of modern
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Short on money, Lucas sought funding from any source, including
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753:"Texas Oil's Big Day Duhler / San Antonio Express-News 6jan01"
678:. Austin: Texas State Historical Association. pp. 53–54.
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274:), and over the next three years, Lucas restored operations.
250:. He married Caroline Weed Fitzgerald in 1887. They moved to
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Lucas drilled and explored for salt on Jefferson Island for
238:, and started work in a sawmill, improving the design of a
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engineering. He later served as a consulting engineer in
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collapsed, but only after a layer of oil sand was found.
846:
History of the petroleum industry in the United States
735:"Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal for Technical Leadership"
674:
Linsley, Judith; Rienstrad, Ellen; Stiles, Jo (2002).
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In 1899, Lucas visited the Sour Spring Mound south of
222:, Lucas was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1878.
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shipbuilder and shipowner from the Croatian island of
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surface exploration for underground mineral deposits
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Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States
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construction and application of back pressure valve
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89:
70:
40:
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583:. Texas State Historical Association. p. 53.
492:in Washington, D.C., he is described as being of
202:At the age of 20, Lucas completed studies at the
301:The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop. January 10, 1901
270:. The damaged mine was located at Petite Anse (
612:From Croatian-Americans at www.everyculture.com
547:"Luchich Discovery of Oil at Spindletop, Texas"
139:; September 9, 1855 – September 2, 1921) was a
8:
428:, with most still being employed. Some are:
412:of the American Committee for Oil and Gas.
29:
18:
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805:Gusher Monument and Replica Oil Boomtown
532:The International Who's Who in the World
496:origin, which was the standard term for
266:superintendent for Myles and Company of
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432:overhead method of mining in salt mines
476:He was often mistakenly described as
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472:Lucas died on September 2, 1921, in
385:, with the United States surpassing
262:In 1893, Lucas started to work as a
230:In 1879, Lucas visited his uncle in
16:Croatian-born American oil explorer
381:become the national center of the
147:, he organized the drilling of an
143:-born American oil explorer. With
14:
553:from the original on 29 June 2010
389:as the world's leading producer.
195:, where his father served in the
881:20th-century American geologists
876:19th-century American geologists
634:American Biographies K through R
623:An article from Franco di Cesare
442:and of mud in oil well drilling
313:. This was the future site of
871:Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery
851:Austro-Hungarian Navy officers
739:Society of Petroleum Engineers
347:, put together financing with
1:
831:American petroleum geologists
440:hydraulic-rotary drilling rig
438:application of steam-driven,
768:Texas History: Oil's Big Day
700:Lucich-Lucas Goes to America
861:People from Beaumont, Texas
416:Inventions and applications
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246:papers on May 9, 1885, at
226:Move to the United States
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109:
28:
528:"LUCAS, Anthony Francis"
549:. croatianhistory.net.
462:Christmas tree oil well
204:Polytechnical Institute
155:, that became known as
866:Engineers from Trieste
480:, sometimes even as a
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191:, his family moved to
121:Mechanical engineering
97:Washington, D.C., U.S.
836:Texas Oil Boom people
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208:Technische Hochschule
133:Anthony Francis Lucas
35:Anthony Francis Lucas
794:Legend of Spindletop
534:. 1912. p. 718.
545:Adam S. Eterovich.
490:Rock Creek Cemetery
394:petroleum reservoir
341:University of Texas
94:Rock Creek Cemetery
488:. On his grave in
450:blowout preventers
358:Beaumont became a
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779:"Spindletop Bolt"
511:, bear his name.
460:invention of the
372:combustion engine
248:Norfolk, Virginia
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111:Scientific career
105:Croatian/American
74:September 2, 1921
51:September 9, 1855
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311:Pattillo Higgins
279:Joseph Jefferson
252:Washington, D.C.
197:Austro-Hungarian
145:Pattillo Higgins
82:Washington, D.C.
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345:James M. Guffey
320:Using a rotary
307:Beaumont, Texas
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185:Austrian Empire
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787:. Retrieved
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757:the original
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555:. Retrieved
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531:
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383:oil industry
369:
357:
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337:Standard Oil
333:Henry Folger
330:
322:drilling rig
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304:
293:Lucas Gusher
276:
272:Avery Island
261:
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132:
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110:
76:(1921-09-02)
841:Wildcatters
826:1921 deaths
821:1855 births
268:New Orleans
169:Montenegrin
137:Antun Lučić
102:Nationality
23:Antun Lucas
815:Categories
789:2007-11-01
763:2015-11-19
720:2024-06-16
715:aimehq.org
426:extraction
400:, Russia,
375:automobile
315:Spindletop
287:salt domes
163:Early life
157:Spindletop
47:1855-09-09
596:3 October
456:well logs
264:salt mine
181:Dalmatian
557:July 17,
551:Archived
498:Croatian
478:Austrian
468:Heritage
410:chairman
360:boomtown
240:gang saw
236:Michigan
187:city of
177:Illyrian
149:oil well
141:Croatian
494:Illyric
486:Italian
482:Trieste
406:Algeria
398:Romania
379:Houston
309:, with
232:Saginaw
193:Trieste
63:Croatia
61:(today
682:
587:
484:-born
402:Mexico
387:Russia
366:Legacy
326:casing
283:sulfur
258:Career
220:Rijeka
199:navy.
173:Lesina
135:(born
117:Fields
84:, U.S.
515:Notes
210:) in
189:Split
151:near
55:Split
680:ISBN
598:2022
585:ISBN
559:2010
424:and
218:and
216:Pula
71:Died
41:Born
335:of
817::
737:.
713:.
650:^
567:^
530:.
404:,
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234:,
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688:.
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206:(
179:(
65:)
49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
