Paper: Chemical Treatment of Petroleum Emulsions

When Colonel Drake drilled the first oil well in this country he was extremely fortunate in two ways; one, he discovered at a very shallow depth, as compared with present day footages; two, the oil he discovered was a paraffinic, golden colored crude which contained very few impurities. It was easily refined with simple equipment, and required no treatment in the field. The development of problems and their solutions, which are connected with the production of oil, have been gradual.