2010 was an eventful year for the oil and gas industry. Not far into 2011, we’ve already seen oil at around $100 a barrel, instability in the Middle East, and a ground-breaking deal between BP and its Russian counterpart Rosneft. While public discussion revolves around the need to replace fossil fuels, the industry continues to push geographical and technological limits in the continuing search for new oil fields. Of course, the industry is now long-established, even if it is much changed. That means it has a heritage all of its own. So let’s take a look at some of the archival evidence that’s available.
In the beginning …
Romania was the focus of a lot of early oil exploration. During the 20th century Romanian oilfields were of crucial importance, particularly during the Second World War. The files of dissolved companies at The National Archives (BT31) contain the names of many petroleum companies formed to exploit the oilfields of the region. I was surprised to find out how early such activity began. You can’t imagine oil barrels being transported to the refinery by ox-cart, but that was what this particular company was doing though, perhaps significantly, not for long. Click on the link and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s what Pumpherston is famous for
As one approaches Edinburgh from the West, curious red hills appear by the roadside. These are spoil heaps or bings that time has softened to become an integral part of the landscape. They are also the remnants of a now defunct industry that once extracted oil from deep-mined shale. Scotland led the way thanks to the presence of shale deposits in West Lothian and to the inventive genius of James “Paraffin” Young (1811-1883). The Scottish shale oil industry could not compete with the crude oil extracted more easily in the Middle East, though it continued in some form until 1962. And now there is an entire website devoted to it, too good to keep to oneself.
http://survey.scottishshale.co.uk/index.php
North Sea Hijack
The above film, starring Roger Moore, did not impress the critics. But it did show how thoroughly, by the 1970s, the development of North Sea oil and gas fields had seeped through into popular culture. There were political consequences too as a nationalist surge in Scotland was powered by the slogan “It’s Scotland’s oil”. Of more immediate interest to Scottish youth was the fact that you could get long strips of liquorice from sweetshops that were known as “North Sea Pipelines”.
Oil exploration is a complex business, made more so by a business environment in which frequent takeovers and the trading of assets means that future generations may find it difficult to chart the development of the industry. Would it not be a good idea to run an archive project to preserve this information for future generations? Well, the good news is that it’s been done already. Follow the link for further details.
http://www.capturing-the-energy.org.uk/index.php
Light sweet crude
Did you know that different oils have different identities and that light sweet crude is the most sought after? The “sweet” part comes from the early prospectors, who used to taste the oil in order to determine its quality. We’ll pass on that. The North Sea yields Brent Crude while the USA is home to West Texas Intermediate. There are more but you’ve got the idea by now. The industry has its own special vocabulary too, so if you don’t know what E & P is short for, or what distinguishes a roughneck from a roustabout, or even why a Christmas tree and mud have their own special meanings within the industry, then you can find enlightenment by following this link.
http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/glossary.cfm
Oil and memory
Over Christmas, I was talking to a rig manager who works in the Far East of Russia. The island of Sakhalin, in fact. It’s a bleak place and a challenging environment. If you want a night out you might have to hop on a plane to Korea. As you can imagine, he had some interesting stories to tell about his experiences in the industry, the stuff that doesn’t necessarily get written down. Maybe I should send my acquaintance the following link. On those long, dark Sakhalin nights he might just enjoy a slice of living history.
http://www.oilcity.co.uk/home/default_home.asp?pageid=18
The energy sector bulks large in the Scottish economy, and thus in the National Strategy for Business Archives in Scotland, which was launched last month in the grand surroundings of the Museum on the Mound. Follow the links for further details on the strategies for Scotland and for England and Wales.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/bacs/nationalstrategyforbusinessarchives/
http://www.businessarchivescouncil.org.uk/materials/national_strategy_for_business_archives.pdf
Alex Ritchie
Business Archives Advice Manager
Archives Sector Development
The National Archives
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
020 8392 5330 ext 2606
[log in to unmask]
Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National Archives Disclaimer This email message (and attachments) may contain information that is confidential to The National Archives. If you are not the intended recipient you cannot use, distribute or copy the message or attachments. In such a case, please notify the sender by return email immediately and erase all copies of the message and attachments. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message and attachments that do not relate to the official business of The National Archives are neither given nor endorsed by it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |