Torpedo (petroleum)
Encyclopedia
A torpedo is an explosive device used, especially in the early days of the petroleum industry
, to fracture the surrounding rock at the bottom of an oil well
to stimulate the flow of oil and to remove built-up paraffin
wax that would restrict the flow. Earlier torpedoes used gunpowder
, but the use of nitroglycerin eventually became widespread. The development of hydraulic fracturing
rendered torpedoes obsolete, and is the primary fracturing process used today.
was used in the first torpedoes, but nitroglycerin was found to work better despite its instability. The well is usually filled with water to prevent the explosion from escaping upwards. Originally, the topmost canister had a percussion cap
that was to detonate the main charge. An iron weight was dropped down the well to set the torpedo off. After incidents of premature explosions, a second method was developed in which a tube of the explosive was placed in a larger tube that was packed with sand. A fuse was wound around the inner tube, connected to a blasting cap
. When the torpedo was to be used, the inner tube was filled with nitroglycerin and corked; the fuse was lit and torpedo was dropped down the well.
Torpedoes were generally used to remove buildup of paraffin wax from an oil well. Before the use of torpedoes caught on, boiling water or benzene
was often poured down wells to try to dissolve the paraffin. Torpedoes were also used to fracture the rock to allow the oil to flow more easily.
in November 1864. Roberts, an American Civil War
veteran, came up with the concept of using water to "tamp" the resulting explosion, after watching Confederate
artillery rounds explode in a canal at the Battle of Fredericksburg
. Roberts developed his first torpedoes in 1865 and 1866. In November 1866 he was granted a patent
on his torpedo application, and founded the Roberts Petroleum Torpedo Company. William Reed also developed a torpedo design and went on to found a rival company "for the purpose of infringing and breaking down the Roberts patent. Roberts charged $100-200 per torpedo as well as a royalty
amounting to of the increased oil production. To avoid paying the exorbitant fees, an owner of a well would often hire men who illegally produced their own torpedoes and used them at night—the practice giving rise to term "moonlighting". Roberts spent $250,000 to protect his patent from the "moonlighters" by hiring the Pinkerton National Detective Agency
and filing numerous lawsuit
s. Roberts' torpedo patents expired in 1879.
Torpedoes manufactured today use modern explosives, with the last nitroglycerin torpedo being used on May 5, 1990.
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
, to fracture the surrounding rock at the bottom of an oil well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
to stimulate the flow of oil and to remove built-up paraffin
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
wax that would restrict the flow. Earlier torpedoes used gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
, but the use of nitroglycerin eventually became widespread. The development of hydraulic fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing
Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of utilizing pressurized water, or some other liquid, to fracture rock layers and release petroleum, natural gas, or other...
rendered torpedoes obsolete, and is the primary fracturing process used today.
Use
A torpedo consisted of canisters that were filled with an explosive and lowered into a well via a rope or wire. GunpowderGunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
was used in the first torpedoes, but nitroglycerin was found to work better despite its instability. The well is usually filled with water to prevent the explosion from escaping upwards. Originally, the topmost canister had a percussion cap
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
that was to detonate the main charge. An iron weight was dropped down the well to set the torpedo off. After incidents of premature explosions, a second method was developed in which a tube of the explosive was placed in a larger tube that was packed with sand. A fuse was wound around the inner tube, connected to a blasting cap
Blasting cap
A blasting cap is a small sensitive primary explosive device generally used to detonate a larger, more powerful and less sensitive secondary explosive such as TNT, dynamite, or plastic explosive....
. When the torpedo was to be used, the inner tube was filled with nitroglycerin and corked; the fuse was lit and torpedo was dropped down the well.
Torpedoes were generally used to remove buildup of paraffin wax from an oil well. Before the use of torpedoes caught on, boiling water or benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
was often poured down wells to try to dissolve the paraffin. Torpedoes were also used to fracture the rock to allow the oil to flow more easily.
History
Edward A. L. Roberts developed the first torpedo and submitted a patent applicationPatent application
A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for the invention described and claimed by that application. An application consists of a description of the invention , together with official forms and correspondence relating to the application...
in November 1864. Roberts, an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
veteran, came up with the concept of using water to "tamp" the resulting explosion, after watching Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
artillery rounds explode in a canal at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. Roberts developed his first torpedoes in 1865 and 1866. In November 1866 he was granted a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
on his torpedo application, and founded the Roberts Petroleum Torpedo Company. William Reed also developed a torpedo design and went on to found a rival company "for the purpose of infringing and breaking down the Roberts patent. Roberts charged $100-200 per torpedo as well as a royalty
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
amounting to of the increased oil production. To avoid paying the exorbitant fees, an owner of a well would often hire men who illegally produced their own torpedoes and used them at night—the practice giving rise to term "moonlighting". Roberts spent $250,000 to protect his patent from the "moonlighters" by hiring the Pinkerton National Detective Agency
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired...
and filing numerous lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s. Roberts' torpedo patents expired in 1879.
Torpedoes manufactured today use modern explosives, with the last nitroglycerin torpedo being used on May 5, 1990.