All episodes of A History of Oil

A History of Oil

Episodes

Episode 33 - The Monster Pipe

The Alyeska consortium builds an 800-mile pipeline across Alaska.

Published 05/02/16

A History of Oil

Published 05/02/16

A History of Oil, Episode 32 - Ice and Crude

The hunt is on for Alaskan crude.

Published 02/17/16

A History of Oil, Episode 31, Inflated Dreams

The long-awaited showdown over Iran unfolds.

Published 01/31/16

A History of Oil, Episode 30 - Friends and Enemies

Strange things happen when oil reaches stratospheric heights.

Published 12/06/15

A History of Oil, Episode 29 - Oil Shock

Cheap oil goes bust, for now.

Published 12/01/15

A History of Oil, Episode 28 - Breaking Rockefeller

Iran's "King of Kings" becomes the Guardian of the Gulf.

Published 11/15/15

A History of Oil, Episode 27 - The Gladiators

America's need for "gladiators" spells danger for the global economy.

Published 08/02/15

A History of Oil, Episode 26 - We've Done It

OPEC in a world of cheap oil.

Published 07/15/15

A History of Oil, Episode 25 - Gentlemen's Agreement

A "gentlemen's agreement" to change the world of oil as we knew it.

Published 07/01/15

A History of Oil, Episode 24 - Barometer of Power

Venezuela’s hot house of new ideas about oil.

Published 09/17/13

A History of Oil, Episode 23 – The Peacock Throne

Operation Ajax and the coup that changed Iran.

Published 07/14/13

A History of Oil, Episode 22 – The Persian Pivot

Mossadegh wins his fight for nationalization, and Iran loses its democracy.

Published 07/03/13

A History of Oil, New Episodes

New Episodes!

Published 06/07/13

A History of Oil, Episode 21 - Man of the Year

Mohammed Mossadegh turns the oil world upside down

Published 06/02/12

A History of Oil, Episode 20 - Swords into Plastics

This is how a Reich ends, not necessarily with a bang but a shortage.

Published 05/16/12

A History of Oil, Episode 19 - War And Rumors of War, Part II

Japan's grab for oil ends badly.

Published 05/02/12

A History of Oil, Episode 18 - War And Rumors of War, Part I

War returns as Hitler's gamble in the East goes horribly wrong.

Published 04/20/12

A History of Oil, Episode 17 - Going Native

King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia and John Philby alter the oil balance of the planet.

Published 06/30/11

A History of Oil, Episode 16 - Filling Up on the Red Line

Mr. Five Percent Draws a Red Line around Arabia, but will this new oil cartel last?

Published 06/16/11

A History of Oil, Episode 15 - The First Great War

The sovereignty of oil has finally arrived. And it is going to be a very, brutal reign.

Published 06/04/11

A History of Oil, Episode 14 - A Sea of Troubles

Winston Churchill’s famous leap into the "sea of troubles” of Persian Oil.

Published 04/22/11

A History of Oil, Episode 13 - Tale of Two Revolutions: Part II

Turmoil in Persia and the start of British petroleum interests in the Gulf.

Published 03/28/11

A History of Oil, Episode 12 - Tale of Two Revolutions: Part I

Russia's Twilight Empire and the first of two revolutions that would reshape the geopolitical map.

Published 03/03/11

A History of Oil, Episode 11 - This is Spindletop

The Texas oil boom opens with a six ton bang at a place called Spindletop.

Published 02/17/11