History of oil in California through 1930

[1] In 1903, California became the leading oil-producing state in the US, and traded the number one position back-and forth with Oklahoma through the year 1930.

[2] As of 2022[update], California produced 3% of the crude oil of the nation, behind Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Alaska, Colorado, and Oklahoma.

[5] For thousands of years prior to European settlement in America, Native Americans in the California territory excavated oil seeps.

By the mid-19th century, American geologists discovered the vast oil reserves in California and began mass drilling in the Western Territory.

Native Americans were keenly aware of oil reserves in California, and they relied on its utility for thousands of years, albeit not for energy sources.

The most abundant oil seep in the ancient California territory was the La Brea tar pits, in present-day Los Angeles.

[1] Native Americans used oil from La Brea and other seeps primarily as a lubricant, but they also used it as a sealant to waterproof canoes.

[1] When Spanish explorers arrived in California in the 1500s, they also used oil to seal cracks in their ships and the roofs of their homes.

[1][12] Union Mattole Company hoped to replicate the success of the Pennsylvania drillings and find large amounts of oil in Northern California.

[15] When Mentry drilled the well to a depth of 560 feet (170 m) in 1877, the oil spurted to the top of the 65-foot (20 m) derrick,[15] increasing the production to 150 barrels per day (24 m3/d).

[1] When word spread about Doheny and Canfield's discoveries, drilling companies flocked to Southern California.

"[1] During this same period, California's agriculture and manufacturing markets were also expanding rapidly, and the increased oil production helped to power the development of these industries.

[20] Additionally, like his predecessor, President Herbert Hoover attempted to control oil overproduction on the federal level.