Under Production Milestones on p. 68 of the Dec. 13, 1999, special issue of the Oil & Gas Journal, it was reported that the first electric power used for pumping an oil well occurred in 1914.
In 1906, South Penn Oil Co. built a 25 cycle power plant at Folsom, Wetzel County, WV, to generate electricity to pump a number of shallow wells in and around Folsom. This facility was active until the mid-1980s.
James A. Crews
Vice-president, retired
Pennzoil