Geophysics Finds Its First Barrel, U.S. Expands Gas Rationing & Wyoming Integrated Test Center

Plus Boosting Recovery with Reservoir Pressure and the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Jul 16, 2025

Welcome to Petro Playback, your daily downhole drill through energy history, innovation, and economics. Today is July 16, and we’re spotlighting seismic breakthroughs, corporate strategy, methane intelligence, and one of the biggest upstream gatherings of the year—URTeC in Houston.

🛢️ HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS – JULY 16

1934 – Geophysics Finds Its First Barrel
On this date, seismic reflection tech was used to discover oil near Conroe, Texas, making it the first geophysical oil find in U.S. history. It was a landmark moment for petroleum science, shifting exploration from guesswork to waveform-based certainty—a precursor to today's subsurface analytics.

1979 – U.S. Expands Gas Rationing Amid Energy Crisis
In response to the Iranian Revolution and global oil disruption, the Carter Administration extended gasoline rationing protocols. July 16, 1979, marked the official expansion of state-level fuel controls, reinforcing America's dependency concerns and leading to new exploration incentives.

2005 – Chevron Acquires Unocal
Chevron’s $18 billion buyout of Unocal Corporation closed on this day, giving Chevron access to key deepwater Gulf assets and Asian LNG markets. It marked one of the largest U.S. upstream mergers of the 2000s—and solidified Chevron’s role as a global exploration leader.

🧴 PETRO PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT – Disposable Diapers

From baby bags to senior care, disposable diapers rely on petroleum-based polymers. The outer layer is made from polyethylene for waterproofing, while the absorbent core uses superabsorbent polyacrylates—both derived from oil and gas. Petrochemistry helps keep life clean, dry, and on schedule.

🔬 DID YOU KNOW? OF THE DAY – Boosting Recovery with Reservoir Pressure

Oil wells typically leave 60–70% of hydrocarbons in place—but secondary recovery techniques like water flooding or gas injection can raise recovery factors to 50–60%. These pressure-maintenance systems allow producers to extract more energy from every acre drilled, delaying abandonment and maximizing return.

🌾 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT – Roosevelt County, New Mexico

While Lea and Eddy Counties get the Permian spotlight, Roosevelt County plays a quiet supporting role through natural gas gathering systems, pipeline right-of-way management, and hydrogen blending projects. Rural but resourceful, the region is building a foundation for New Mexico’s net-zero targets through natural gas optimization.

🤝 PUBLIC‑PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SPOTLIGHT – Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC)

The Wyoming ITC, housed at a Basin Electric cooperative power plant, is a real-world laboratory for carbon capture. Private companies test technologies under flue-gas conditions with state and federal support. It’s a rare platform that blends rural energy infrastructure with global climate innovation.

💬 PROFESSIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I invented nothing new. I simply assembled the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work… Progress happens when all the factors that make for it are ready, and then it is inevitable.”
— Henry Ford, Industrialist

Ford’s legacy in the energy sector is often overshadowed by the automobile—but his assembly line also brought fuel logistics, refinery strategy, and vertical integration to the center of industrial growth.

🛢️ OIL & GAS EVENT SPOTLIGHT – URTeC 2025: Houston, TX (July 15–17)

This week, energy innovators gather in Houston for URTeC – the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Keynote: Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum, discussing “Operational Discipline in a New Energy Economy”
Sponsors: Chevron, Schlumberger, Halliburton, NOV, and Devon Energy
Focus Areas: AI in geology, automated completions, carbon-smart drilling, and predictive reservoir modeling
Networking Flow: Tech briefings in the morning, interactive demos in the afternoon, and the popular Wildcatter Happy Hour hosted by NOV every evening at 5:30 PM

URTeC remains the premier stage for shale tech, software breakthroughs, and field optimization. It’s where data becomes deployment.

🔝 TOP PETRO‑POWERED HEADLINES – JULY 16

U.S. Rig Count Up for Third Week – Permian Leads Recovery
Baker Hughes reports a 5-rig increase, driven by Eagle Ford and Delaware Basin restarts. The uptick signals a steady return of private E&Ps eager to capitalize on $70+ oil while holding service costs flat.

India Becomes Russia’s Top Crude Buyer
In a surprise shift, India has surpassed China as Russia’s largest oil customer, re-exporting refined fuels to Europe. The shift is undermining traditional OPEC flows and could influence new coalition pricing strategies.

Chevron and Occidental Fund Satellite Methane Tracking Initiative
Chevron and Oxy launched a joint venture funding satellite-based methane detection via AI. This comes ahead of EPA Subpart W compliance deadlines, putting real-time monitoring at the forefront of ESG transparency.

🧭 FINAL THOUGHTS

July 16 traces the path from first seismic maps to carbon-neutral field labs. From diapers to drilling software, oil and gas continues to evolve not just where we drill—but how we think, connect, and improve.

This has been your Petro Playback for July 16, reminding you: Adaptation is the reservoir of resilience—tap into it daily.

Petro Playback prepared and written by Jason Spiess. Spiess is an multi-award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, producer and content consultant. Spiess, who began working in the media at age 10, has over 35 years of media experience in broadcasting, journalism, reporting and principal ownership in media companies. Spiess is currently the host of several newsmagazine programs that air across a 22 radio stations and podcasts worldwide through podcast platforms, as well as a combined Substack and social media audience of over 500K followers. Connect with Spiess on LinkedIn

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