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What was the largest company that was exploiting the oil in Azerbaijan?
The Nobel Family/Branobel
What and when did the Nobel Brothers Petroleum Production Company change their name?
1879, Branobel, short for brothers of Nobel
How many barrels of oil did the Nobels pump from the area?
150 million barrels of oil
What was the issue with the first oil tanks that were built between 1877-1885?
When the ships got out into the open water, the oil would slosh around, making the ships unsturdy
What was the name of the first oil tanker?q
Zoroaster
What did Henry Swan introduce regarding oil tanks?
Introduced the idea of dividing oil tanks into smaller compartments to minimize sloshing, and the oil tankers could go out onto the ocean.
Three early modern oil tankers from 1877-1885
Blesk, Lumen, Lux
What is Energy History?
The study of how humans have discovered, used, and transformed energy sources, especially solar-based energy, over time.
What sparked the first global oil boom in the late 19th century?
The discovery of oil's promise as an energy source and the growth of drilling and shipping methods.
Why is almost all energy considered solar energy?
Because most energy sources (e.g., coal, oil, wind, hydro) originate from the Sun's effects on Earth.
What are exceptions to solar-based energy?
Nuclear, geothermal, and tidal energy.
How does fossil energy trace back to the Sun?
Fossil fuels formed from ancient plants and marine life that depended on sunlight, compressed over millions of years into coal and oil.
What process connects the Sun to electricity via wind?
The Sun heats the Earth unevenly → differential pressure → wind → turbines → electricity.
How does the Sun's energy lead to electricity via rivers and dams?
Sun causes evaporation → rain → rivers → dams → electricity.
How much fossil energy does humanity use annually compared to natural processes?
Humans use the equivalent of 400 years of solar-driven fossil energy formation every year.
Why do energy historians focus less on national histories?
They think in large time scales, focusing on how humans have used energy over millennia, such as the domestication of fire.
What major transition do energy historians study?
Transition from organic/flow energy to mineral/stock energy
What is pre-modern energy?
Energy directly captured from natural flows, such as wind, water, or wood, without significant transformation or storage.
How does pre-modern energy capture the Sun's power?
Through processes like using sails to harness wind or water wheels to use flowing rivers.
What are the limits of pre-modern energy systems?
Dependence on natural availability (e.g., trees for wood, wind, or flowing water) with little ability to transfer or store energy.
What role did fire play in early energy use?
Fire allowed humans to move north, hunt at night, and begin controlling energy.
How does Christopher Jones define pre-modern energy systems?
Societies where energy comes from "flowers of energy entering an ecosystem," such as wood, wind, and water (Routes of Power, p. 15).
What are fossil fuels, and why are they significant in modern energy?
Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are high-energy-density stocks formed from fossilized plants, enabling efficient energy storage and transport.
What is energy density, and why is it important?
Energy density refers to the amount of energy stored per unit of a fuel, making substances like oil efficient for long-distance transport.
What types of energy are included in modern electricity generation?
Hydro, coal/gas-fired, nuclear, solar, and wind energy.
Why did Britain lead the first modern energy regime?
Britain transitioned from wood to coal during the Industrial Revolution, becoming heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
What is the current global energy transition?
A shift from fossil fuels to diverse energy sources like renewables and nuclear.
How has the geographic focus of coal production shifted?
From Western countries to major producers like China and India.
What energy resource overtook coal in dominance during the 1950s?
Oil
What challenge is highlighted by comparing wood and oil energy use?
Moving wood across the Atlantic consumed more energy than could be extracted from it, unlike high-density oil.
What is the central theme of modern energy according to Henry Adams and others?
Modern energy represents humanity’s assertion of dominion over nature, harnessing natural forces for human purposes.
How did the Toronto Globe describe the harnessing of Niagara Falls for hydro power in 1905?
As the "damming of Niagara," symbolizing human control over nature’s forces.
According to Archibald Geikie, what is the first step in subjecting nature to human demands?
Making the Earth an object of study to uncover its principles and establish control.
How does the Royal Commission of Canada describe energy's role in modern industrial man’s power?
Energy sources like engines and turbines are the "orb and sceptre" of humanity’s growing sovereignty over nature.
What does "orb and sceptre" symbolize in the context of modern energy?
Humanity's material and social power derived from energy technologies.
What imagery is often used to symbolize the dominance of modern energy?
Burning oil fields and the harnessing of natural forces like Niagara Falls.
How did large oil companies take control of modern power systems?
Through social power
Where and when was the first American oil boom?
In Ohio, late 1850s
What was the primary focus of Standard Oil under John D. Rockefeller?
Refining and transportation of oil, connecting people to oil rather than just pumping it.
By the 1900s, what percentage of the U.S. crude oil, refineries, and kerosene market did Standard Oil control?
86% of crude oil, 82% of refineries, and 85% of kerosene sales.
How did Standard Oil leverage railways to dominate the oil industry?
They arranged discounts on shipments and received payments from competitors’ sales through railways.
What was the opinion of L.C. McCloskey, VP of Imperial Oil, on competition?
He believed limited competition is healthy, but excessive competition is wasteful and harmful.
How did Standard Oil influence the global oil market?
By expanding operations to regions like China and the Middle East.
Why did Rockefeller dislike the oil boom?
It led to excessive competition as everyone rushed to pump as much oil as possible.
How did Standard Oil make money beyond its 90% market control?
By earning fixed payments on competitors’ sales through its dominance in railway logistics.
What significant oil discovery occurred in Spindletop, Texas, in 1901?
The discovery at Spindletop led to the rise of companies like Gulf Oil and Texaco.
What law led to the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911?
The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.
What were some of the companies formed after the breakup of Standard Oil?
Standard of New Jersey (Esso, later Exxon)
Standard of California (SoCal, later Chevron)
Standard of New York (Socony, later Mobil)
Standard of Ohio (Sohio)
What is the origin of Royal Dutch Shell?
A merger in 1907 between Royal Dutch Petroleum (Netherlands) and the British "Shell" Transport and Trading Company.
Where did British Petroleum (BP) originate?
BP began as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in Iran in 1908, tied to British imperial interests.
Who were the "Seven Sisters" that dominated the global oil industry by the 1920s?
Standard of New Jersey (Esso)
Standard of California (Chevron)
Standard of New York (Mobil)
Gulf Oil
Texaco
British Petroleum (BP)
Royal Dutch Shell
What aspects of the oil industry did the Seven Sisters control?
They controlled extraction, refining, transportation, and retail, forming fully integrated operations.
By 1950, what percentage of oil outside North America did the Seven Sisters control?
70% of oil outside North America.
What are "concessions" in the context of the global oil industry?
Agreements imposed by the Seven Sisters on oil-producing nations, guaranteeing supply and profits for the companies while limiting the power of the producing nations.
How did the Seven Sisters maintain control over oil-producing nations?
By using economic imperialism, leveraging their corporate power and state support to dominate the extraction and pricing of oil.
What was the "posted price" system?
A pricing mechanism where the Seven Sisters set the price they would pay for oil, allowing them to control the market and flow of oil without a free market.
What was the role of the Iraqi Petroleum Company in the global oil industry?
The Iraqi Petroleum Company was a major oil company involving Dutch Shell, Standard of NJ, Mobil, and others, dominating oil extraction in Iraq and other regions.
Who was Mohammed Mosaddegh, and what did he do in Iran in 1951?
Mosaddegh was the democratically elected prime minister of Iran who nationalized the oil industry, creating the National Iranian Oil Company to allow Iran to control its oil revenue.
How did the Seven Sisters and Western powers respond to Mosaddegh's nationalization?
They opposed it, fearing a loss of control over Iran's oil, and collaborated to organize a coup against Mosaddegh.
Which intelligence agencies were involved in the coup against Mosaddegh?
The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and the British Secret Intelligence Service organized the coup to overthrow Mosaddegh.
What was the significance of OPEC in 1960?
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) was founded to give oil-producing nations more control over their oil and reduce the power of the Seven Sisters.
What was the 1973 OPEC oil boycott, and why was it significant?
OPEC organized an oil boycott of many Western countries in 1973, marking a key moment in the history of energy, shifting power from the Seven Sisters to oil-producing nations.
How did the 1967 OPEC attempt to assert control over oil concessions turn out?
The 1967 attempt was unsuccessful, but OPEC’s influence grew, culminating in the successful 1973 oil boycott.
What triggered the Yom Kippur War in October 1973?
Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
How did OPEC respond to the U.S. support for Israel in the Yom Kippur War?
OPEC, primarily made up of Arab nations, imposed an oil embargo, reducing the supply of oil.
What impact did the 1973 oil embargo have on oil prices?
Oil prices skyrocketed, with the average price of gasoline in the U.S. rising from 27 cents per gallon in September 1973 to 51 cents by the end of the year.
How did the 1973 oil crisis affect North America's car culture?
The crisis highlighted North America's dependence on global oil supplies and car culture, emphasizing the vulnerability of the West to disruptions in oil production.
What major event occurred in Iran in 1979?
The Iranian Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
What was Eugene Holman's statement about oil geography?
Holman stated, "There is no relation between the places where oil is found and where it is used...Oil is found where nature put it. It is consumed where populations have concentrated and industry flourishes."
Why is oil considered energy-dense compared to other fuels?
Oil is energy-dense, meaning it can provide more energy per unit compared to other fuels like wood, making it more efficient to transport over long distances.
What is the risk of oil extraction and transport?
If it takes more energy to extract oil than the energy it produces, the process becomes inefficient. Additionally, transporting oil over long distances carries risks, such as oil spills.
What does Paul Virilio's quote about inventions suggest?
Virilio's quote suggests that every technological advancement carries its own negative consequences, such as oil spills with the invention of the oil tanker.
How does oil movement impact North America and the global south?
In North America, cheap oil drives economic growth, while in the Global South, oil spills are more frequent, leading to significant environmental consequences despite the lower total number of spills.
Where are the majority of oil spills occurring globally?
Most oil spills occur in the Global South, even though the total volume of oil spilled is smaller compared to the large amounts of oil being transported worldwide.
What was Rockefeller’s primary focus in the oil industry during the late 19th century?
Rockefeller focused on producing kerosene for illumination, as oil was primarily used for lamps and lighting at the time.
How did the invention of the lightbulb affect the oil industry?
The lightbulb, invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, electrified lighting, undermining the kerosene market and shifting the oil industry away from illumination.
What was significant about Thomas Edison’s Pearl Street Power Plant?
Edison’s Pearl Street Power Plant in New York, which used alternating currents, demonstrated the potential of electricity and signaled the future shift from oil-based lighting to electric lighting.
Why did the automobile become important to the oil industry in the early 20th century?
The automobile, powered by internal combustion engines (ICE), began to spread in the 1910s, leading to a significant demand for gasoline, a byproduct of oil.
What was the initial attitude toward gasoline before the rise of the automobile?
Before the automobile’s rise, gasoline was considered a nuisance and was often discarded as waste during oil production.
How did the automobile industry contribute to the growing demand for oil?
As automobiles spread in the 1910s, the demand for gasoline skyrocketed, turning gasoline into a valuable product and a major driver of the oil industry.
What role did electricity play in the early 20th century?
Electricity began to spread widely, powering new technologies like lightbulbs and machines, and shifting energy consumption away from kerosene and other fuels.
What is Fordism?
Fordism refers to the mass production system introduced by Henry Ford, which made products like the Model T affordable and accessible to a larger population.
When was the Ford Motor Company founded and what was its first major success?
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903, and its first major success was the Model T, introduced in 1908.
Why was the Model T significant in terms of affordability?
The Model T was made cheap and durable so that not only rich people but also the general public could afford it, revolutionizing personal transportation.
How did Ford make the Model T cheaper over time?
Ford used mass production techniques, including the assembly line, to reduce production costs, allowing the price of the Model T to decrease over time.
Why was durability important for the Model T?
Durability was important because the roads at the time were not well-paved, and the car needed to withstand rough conditions.
How was the moving assembly line used before it was applied to cars?
Before Ford, assembly lines were used in other industries, such as meat packing, where the product moved along a conveyor, and workers performed specific tasks on it.
How did Ford control labor on the assembly line?
Ford controlled labor by breaking down the car's production into simple, repetitive tasks that could be easily trained and repeated, which also allowed him to set the pace of production.
How did Ford reduce the time to produce a car?
In 1908, it took 12.5 hours to produce a car. By 1914, the time was reduced to just 1.5 hours due to the efficiency of the assembly line and labor control.
Why did Ford increase wages to $5 per day for his workers?
Ford increased wages to $5 per day to reduce worker turnover and retain skilled labor, addressing the problem of employees quitting due to low wages and difficult working conditions.
How dominant was Ford in the U.S. car market by 1921?
By 1921, Ford sold 56% of all cars in the U.S., while its closest competitor, General Motors, had only 12% of the market.
Why did Ford avoid advertising his cars?
Ford avoided advertising because he believed people should buy his cars due to their quality and affordability, not because of marketing or persuasive advertising.
Who was Alfred Sloan and how did he contribute to the car industry?
Alfred Sloan was the president of General Motors (GM) in 1920, and he created "Sloanism," a strategy to compete with Ford by focusing on marketing, segmentation, and planned obsolescence rather than price.
What was Sloan's main strategy to compete with Ford?
Sloan's main strategy was to create a "price ladder" with cars at different price points to cater to different income levels, offering a range of cars from Chevrolet to Cadillac.
How did Sloan's "price ladder" strategy work?
The price ladder offered cars at various price points, so as customers improved their financial situation, they could "move up" to more expensive models, ensuring continued sales to the same customers.
What was the key difference in Ford and GM's car offerings?
Ford sold a single car model until 1947, while GM offered multiple models targeted at different market segments, focusing on appealing to various consumer needs and desires.
How did GM use annual model changes in their strategy?
GM introduced annual model changes, ensuring that each new car was seen as more modern and desirable, which encouraged consumers to purchase new cars more often.
What is the "Great Acceleration" and what are some examples?
The "Great Acceleration" refers to the rapid increase in various aspects of modern life after WWII, including car ownership, water and oil use, McDonald's, nuclear energy, and beef production.
How did car culture change after WWII?
Car ownership skyrocketed in North America, and cars began to reshape geography. Cities and infrastructure were redesigned to accommodate automobiles, influencing the development of highways, parking lots, and urban planning.
What is "Machine Space"?
"Machine Space" refers to the physical spaces in cities and landscapes that were designed to accommodate cars, including highways and parking lots. These spaces prioritized automobiles over other forms of transportation.
