233:
364:
349:
334:
173:, one of the most widely read books in his profession. An often repeated quote from this book is, "Gold is where you find it, according to an old adage, but judging from the record of our experience, oil must be sought first of all in our minds." There was a limited amount to find, though: at the University of Kansas, Pratt gave a lecture "Oil in the Earth", where he speculated that the total amount of oil in the United States was 100 billion barrels.
157:(Humble's parent firm in New Jersey), once again rising to director, executive committee member, and finally, vice president, a position he held until he retired from the company in 1945. In the same year that he had joined Standard Oil, the company named one of their tankers after him, the SS Wallace E Pratt.
129:
of the land over the oil field. Pratt was tasked with the investigation of this novel phenomenon and produced a report in which the subsidence was definitively attributed to the extraction of petroleum. In 1926, together with D. W. Johnson, he published these findings in a scientific paper. By this
109:
as largely a hit or miss operation without scientific exploration. But Pratt, joined by 10 more geologists during 1918–19, proved that geology was an important factor in finding oil. Among the most notable early contributions made by Pratt and his staff were geological studies that led to the
145:. After studying results from this work, Pratt concluded that Humble should use geophysical instruments and methods. In line with these recommendations, in 1924, Humble set up a geophysics group and established a shop in Houston for
20:
130:
year, after about ten years of active pumping, most of the productive area of the field had subsided three feet, and the submerging of the facilities had already become obvious to field operators.
114:. On the basis of these studies, Humble bought leases on the structure and developed substantial reserves and production. This work and leasing of large amounts of land that proved productive in
363:
269:
33:. When he started his position at Standard Oil in 1937, the company named one of their tankers after him, the SS Wallace E Pratt. He is also notable for helping establish
255:
246:
768:
793:
778:
783:
753:
348:
169:
for two years and began a long career as a consultant geologist. Pratt wrote more than 100 geological papers during his lifetime, including
773:
232:
290:
166:
34:
296:
Since 1982, the AAPG has given the
Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award to the best AAPG Bulletin article published each calendar year.
788:
333:
153:
recording in the field. Pratt served as Humble's chief geologist and later director, and vice president. In 1937, he joined
283:
456:
276:
259:
573:
738:
722:
705:
646:
513:
Land subsidence: Case histories and current research: Association of
Engineering Geologists Special Publication no. 8
133:
Pratt also played a prominent role in the scientific progress of his profession. As early as 1922, others were using
82:
524:
Pratt, W.E., and D.W. Johnson, Local subsidence of the Goose Creek oil field, J. Geol., 34 (7), 577-590, 1926.
101:, becoming chief of the Division of Mines there in 1912. He returned to the U.S. in 1916, and in 1918 joined
42:
369:
134:
62:
306:
150:
122:
534:
763:
758:
671:
634:
471:
86:
74:
313:
237:
30:
309:, forming the core of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This land includes his former homes:
558:
319:
305:
Wallace E. Pratt donated 5,632 acres (22.79 km), which included McKittrick Canyon, to the
110:
correct interpretation of the structure of the huge Mexia Field, discovered in
October 1920 in
616:
585:
535:"Ship on the Desert: The Pratt Family in the Guadalupe Mountains (U.S. National Park Service)"
437:
355:
339:
46:
717:
479:
138:
105:
as the company's first geologist. Prior to that time the company had treated the search for
50:
279:'s Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in 1954. He was director of API for many years.
378:
58:
475:
483:
747:
115:
511:
Holzer, T.L. "The history of the aquitard-drainage model", in
Borchers, J.W., ed.,
154:
410:
98:
700:
716:
American
Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation, memorial, Sept 1982,
487:
323:
146:
126:
111:
38:
620:
589:
441:
142:
106:
604:
78:
289:
He was named Grand Old Man of
Exploration in 1976 by directors of the
231:
102:
54:
18:
61:. In Guadalupe Mountains National Park, they had constructed the
249:, Pratt was elected fourth president of the association in 1920.
19:
457:"Land subsidence near oil and gas-fields, Houston, Texas"
65:, the Ship on the Desert, which resembled an oil tanker.
270:
American
Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers
118:, in 1923 firmly established Humble as an oil producer.
633:
Toward a
Philosophy of Oil-Finding1 | AAPG Bulletin |
405:
403:
57:. He is also notable for his marriage to suffragist
609:
The
Journal of Business of the University of Chicago
397:
atlas.thc.state.tx.us/NR/pdfs/11000927/11000927.pdf
149:research and development, and the manufacture of a
265:In 1972, he received the AAPG's Human Needs Award.
574:"Distribution of Petroleum in the Earth's Crust"
562:, Letters to the editor, October 3, 1943, p. 101
193:Distribution of Petroleum in the Earth's Crust
8:
651:American Association of Petroleum Geologists
247:American Association of Petroleum Geologists
77:, March 15, 1885, Pratt began his career in
432:Gerrits, Sam. "Gas, olie en aardbevingen".
372:. The Wallace Pratt home with landscape.
286:Petroleum Museum's Hall of Fame in 1969.
175:
390:
329:
240:Geological Society field trip in 1964.
165:After retirement, Pratt served on the
739:Erick Devine is Wallace Pratt (Video)
455:Holzer, T.L.; Bluntzer, R.L. (1984).
377:Pratt died December 25, 1981, in his
7:
436:(in Dutch) (September 2022): 58–59.
85:shortly after he graduated from the
215:Toward a Philosophy of Oil-Finding
29:(1885–1981) was a pioneer American
723:Toward a Philosophy of Oil-Finding
484:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1984.tb01416.x
291:International Petroleum Exposition
254:He was the first recipient of the
89:in 1907 with a bachelor's degree.
14:
769:Guadalupe Mountains National Park
647:"Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award"
605:"The Earth's Petroleum Resources"
301:Guadalupe Mountains National Park
272:' Anthony F. Lucas Medal in 1948.
167:National Security Resources Board
35:Guadalupe Mountains National Park
794:20th-century American geologists
779:People from Phillipsburg, Kansas
362:
347:
332:
204:The Earth's Petroleum Resources
97:From 1909 to 1914, he worked in
784:Scientists from Tucson, Arizona
326:, now used as a ranger station.
322:, a home built to resemble an
16:American geologist (1885–1981)
1:
754:American petroleum geologists
121:By 1920, the exploitation of
103:Humble Oil & Refining Co.
413:. U.S. National Park Service
282:Pratt was inducted into the
277:American Petroleum Institute
260:Sidney Powers Memorial Award
141:as a new method for finding
774:University of Kansas alumni
706:American National Biography
245:One of the founders of the
810:
709:. Oxford University Press.
603:Pratt, Wallace E. (1944).
572:Pratt, Wallace E. (1944).
672:"Pratt, Wallace Everette"
125:by Humble Oil led to the
81:as an assistant with the
676:Handbook of Texas Online
83:Kansas Geological Survey
45:through his donation of
354:Wallace Pratt Lodge in
135:geophysical instruments
43:Eddy County, New Mexico
789:Scientists from Kansas
241:
236:Pratt speaking at the
151:refraction seismograph
137:experimentally on the
63:Wallace E. Pratt House
27:Wallace Everette Pratt
23:
316:, open to the public.
307:National Park Service
268:He also received the
235:
123:Goose Creek Oil Field
22:
712:Subscription needed.
87:University of Kansas
75:Phillipsburg, Kansas
476:1984GrWat..22..450H
381:, home. He was 96.
178:
161:Petroleum geologist
31:petroleum geologist
727:Pay-per-view item.
701:"Pratt, Wallace E"
559:The New York Times
370:Ship on the Desert
320:Ship On The Desert
262:, awarded in 1945.
242:
176:
24:
584:(10): 1506–1509.
515:, p. 7-16. 1998.
356:McKittrick Canyon
340:McKittrick Canyon
228:Legacy and honors
225:
224:
221:Wallace E. Pratt
210:Wallace E. Pratt
47:McKittrick Canyon
801:
710:
687:
686:
684:
682:
668:
662:
661:
659:
657:
643:
637:
631:
625:
624:
600:
594:
593:
569:
563:
555:
549:
548:
546:
545:
531:
525:
522:
516:
509:
503:
502:
500:
498:
492:
486:. Archived from
461:
452:
446:
445:
429:
423:
422:
420:
418:
407:
398:
395:
366:
351:
336:
179:
171:Oil in the Earth
155:Standard Oil Co.
139:Texas Gulf Coast
809:
808:
804:
803:
802:
800:
799:
798:
744:
743:
735:
699:
696:
694:Further reading
691:
690:
680:
678:
670:
669:
665:
655:
653:
645:
644:
640:
635:GeoScienceWorld
632:
628:
602:
601:
597:
571:
570:
566:
556:
552:
543:
541:
533:
532:
528:
523:
519:
510:
506:
496:
494:
493:on 26 July 2011
490:
459:
454:
453:
449:
431:
430:
426:
416:
414:
411:"Wallace Pratt"
409:
408:
401:
396:
392:
387:
379:Tucson, Arizona
373:
367:
358:
352:
343:
337:
303:
230:
163:
95:
71:
59:Iris Calderhead
17:
12:
11:
5:
807:
805:
797:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
756:
746:
745:
742:
741:
734:
733:External links
731:
730:
729:
720:
714:
695:
692:
689:
688:
663:
638:
626:
615:(3): 129–145.
595:
564:
550:
526:
517:
504:
470:(4): 450–459.
447:
424:
399:
389:
388:
386:
383:
375:
374:
368:
361:
359:
353:
346:
344:
338:
331:
328:
327:
317:
302:
299:
298:
297:
294:
287:
280:
273:
266:
263:
251:
250:
229:
226:
223:
222:
219:
216:
212:
211:
208:
205:
201:
200:
199:Wallace Pratt
197:
194:
190:
189:
186:
183:
162:
159:
94:
91:
70:
67:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
806:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
751:
749:
740:
737:
736:
732:
728:
724:
721:
719:
718:pp. 1412–1422
715:
713:
708:
707:
702:
698:
697:
693:
677:
673:
667:
664:
652:
648:
642:
639:
636:
630:
627:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
599:
596:
591:
587:
583:
579:
578:AAPG Bulletin
575:
568:
565:
561:
560:
554:
551:
540:
536:
530:
527:
521:
518:
514:
508:
505:
489:
485:
481:
477:
473:
469:
465:
458:
451:
448:
443:
439:
435:
428:
425:
412:
406:
404:
400:
394:
391:
384:
382:
380:
371:
365:
360:
357:
350:
345:
341:
335:
330:
325:
321:
318:
315:
312:
311:
310:
308:
300:
295:
292:
288:
285:
284:Permian Basin
281:
278:
274:
271:
267:
264:
261:
257:
253:
252:
248:
244:
243:
239:
234:
227:
220:
217:
214:
213:
209:
206:
203:
202:
198:
195:
192:
191:
187:
184:
181:
180:
177:Publications
174:
172:
168:
160:
158:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
131:
128:
124:
119:
117:
116:Powell, Texas
113:
108:
104:
100:
92:
90:
88:
84:
80:
76:
68:
66:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
28:
21:
726:
711:
704:
679:. Retrieved
675:
666:
654:. Retrieved
650:
641:
629:
612:
608:
598:
581:
577:
567:
557:
553:
542:. Retrieved
538:
529:
520:
512:
507:
495:. Retrieved
488:the original
467:
464:Ground Water
463:
450:
434:De Ingenieur
433:
427:
415:. Retrieved
393:
376:
304:
170:
164:
132:
120:
96:
72:
26:
25:
764:1981 deaths
759:1885 births
539:www.nps.gov
497:25 December
314:Pratt Cabin
99:Philippines
748:Categories
544:2024-08-10
385:References
324:oil tanker
188:Author(s)
147:geophysics
143:salt domes
127:subsidence
112:East Texas
93:Humble Oil
39:West Texas
621:0740-9168
590:0149-1423
442:0020-1146
69:Biography
51:Salt Flat
73:Born in
681:8 March
656:8 March
472:Bibcode
417:8 March
238:Roswell
79:geology
619:
588:
440:
182:Title
491:(PDF)
460:(PDF)
342:Trail
218:1952
207:1944
196:1944
185:Year
55:Texas
683:2022
658:2022
617:ISSN
586:ISSN
499:2009
438:ISSN
419:2022
275:The
256:AAPG
41:and
480:doi
258:'s
107:oil
49:in
37:of
750::
725:.
703:.
674:.
649:.
613:17
611:.
607:.
582:28
580:.
576:.
537:.
478:.
468:22
466:.
462:.
402:^
53:,
685:.
660:.
623:.
592:.
547:.
501:.
482::
474::
444:.
421:.
293:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.