Karl Twitchell
Encyclopedia
Karl Twitchell was an American mining engineer.
He surveyed for minerals in Saudi Arabia, for King 'Abd al-'Aziz. He then worked for Charles Richard Crane
, looking for places to drill for water in Yemen
. He decided there were no aquifers but saw the potential for oil drilling.
He first struck oil in Bahrain
, which gave him a good inkling that there would be oil in Saudi Arabia
due to its close proximity (12 miles).
Twitchell's discovery opened the way for the partnership that eventually came to be known as the arabian american oil company—Aramco.
He surveyed for minerals in Saudi Arabia, for King 'Abd al-'Aziz. He then worked for Charles Richard Crane
Charles Richard Crane
Charles Richard Crane was a wealthy American businessman, heir to a large industrial fortune and connoisseur of Arab culture, a noted Arabist. His widespread business interests gave him entree into domestic and international political affairs where he enjoyed privileged access to many...
, looking for places to drill for water in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. He decided there were no aquifers but saw the potential for oil drilling.
He first struck oil in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, which gave him a good inkling that there would be oil in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
due to its close proximity (12 miles).
Twitchell's discovery opened the way for the partnership that eventually came to be known as the arabian american oil company—Aramco.
External Links
- Karl S. Twitchell Paper at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....