texas fuel company barrel....

naturegirl · Jan 17, 2012

I know what it is, but I don't know why it's in such good condition, so I've come to the "source" :icon_thumleft:

Y'all know it all, and I mean that in a good way. This barrel was found by a friend of mine who was clearing brush, probably from an oil lease here in Oklahoma. She says all the barrels from the 50's were almost rusted away, but not this one, which probably dates to 1900,the Texas Fuel Company be came Texaco in 1903...I was thinking it must have super-duper lead paint on it...? any ideas? Could it be a metal other than steel? Thank you for looking....

naturegirl

NOLA_Ken · Jan 17, 2012

Hard to say, but that spigot doesn't look all that old to me, maybe it was kept in a barn or a shed and recently dumped?

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 17, 2012

Is it full or empty? I hope its not hazardous waste improperly dumped. Did you say there are other barrels in the area?

uglymailman · Jan 17, 2012

Looks galvanized to me. Some of those old barrels were. I'd hate to find an oil drum in the brush. Never know what's in em & don't want to.

naturegirl · Jan 17, 2012

the spigot doesn't look that old, and new found info shows that the name Texas fuel company was still being used in 1954, so that makes sense for this oil lease. :laughing9:

don't know if there is anything in it, and there is so much oil field leftovers around here, that I for one wouldn't consider hazerdous waste, a lot of us grew up playing around this stuff. But I will try to keep that in mind for the future. It just seems strange that this one barrel would be in such better shape than the rest...thanks BCH

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 17, 2012

naturegirl said:
don't know if there is anything in it, and there is so much oil field leftovers around here, that I for one wouldn't consider hazerdous waste, a lot of us grew up playing around this stuff.

I understand. I didnt realize it was normal to find these barrels. Here in Florida, if we find a barrel, its illegally dumped.

I dont have any clue as to why it didnt rust. Maybe the other barrels were not galvanized.

naturegirl · Jan 17, 2012

The finder says it is galvanized, thanks uglymailman!, but there is alot of galvanized metal around that DID rust. It's not as old as first thought, but it's still a neat enough find since it's in good shape. And the area IS in EPA compliance :icon_thumleft:

Any oil patch tnetters?

Scar · Jan 18, 2012

I am an oil patch tnetter. The Texas Company were operators drilling wells all over, way back yonder. I have seen many leases in Louisiana through the years granted to The Texas Company in the early 1900's. I believe that they became Texaco.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 18, 2012

naturegirl said:
And the area IS in EPA compliance

Leaving or dumping oil drums of unknown contents in the brush until they rust and leak is in EPA compliance?

You cannot even dispose of oil in a dump.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/usedoil/campgn/en-dumpbr.pdf

The price of steel has gone up. It may be worth it to haul it all to the recycler as long as thery are completely empty of course.

naturegirl · Jan 18, 2012

I have a feeling the standards may be different here, I don't really know. :dontknow:

There is old oil field debris everywhere. The biggest messes were/are being cleaned up. And it doesn't look as bad as my words make it sound. Just a different state. What was Florida like in the 1920's? or in the '30's drought /dust bowl days? Oklahoma has a wild history. Now days, the oil companies are watched very closely. In fact that's an interesting thought to compare and contrast the two states, I actually know very little of Florida, except exotic animals are taking over, the swamps have been drained, dryed up and decimated, and the Indians were forced to move, well here! Oh yeah, y'all get hurricanes, we get tornados....

I think the barrel will be worth more in sentimentality in this case, And you are right Scar,about Texas Oil Company becoming Texaco! Thanks for your reply :hello:

Scar · Jan 18, 2012

I would think this barrel would have value because of The Texas Company logo to someone that is a collector of oil field trash. As far as toxic waste back then, they didn't collect that stuff in barrels they just dumped it on the ground or in a near by bayou.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 18, 2012

I have a feeling EPA standards were different back in the 50's. I am not knowlegable about the oil business even though they drill some oil in the swamps.

I know that the EPA does regular inspections on any business here that changes auto fluids and they can be extremely tough. In the old days I used to drain oil and bury it but that kind of practice is now illegal for sure.

Here in florida all the steel laying around is being collected because the price of scrap steel is up.. The valve looks like brass. I dont know if it has any collector value or why it didnt rust.

South Florida is overpopulated. You probably would not like it.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 18, 2012

naturegirl said:
:What was Florida like in the 1920's? or in the '30's drought /dust bowl days? Oklahoma has a wild history. Now days, the oil companies are watched very closely. In fact that's an interesting thought to compare and contrast the two states, I actually know very little of Florida, except exotic animals are taking over, the swamps have been drained, dryed up and decimated, and the Indians were forced to move, well here!

Im just curious naturegirl, are the Seminole Indians of Oklahoma as filthy rich as the ones here that remained hidden in the Florida swamps?

They found out that the everglades keeps the saltwater out of our wells so swamps are no longer drained. Actually canals are now being filled back in and lands flooded again. Its all part of a very extensive and expensive Everglades Restoration.

South Florida was a wild beautiful place in the 20's and 30s. It must have been paradise.. SE Florida is now a cesspool but we still have beautiful preserved areas.

Scar · Jan 18, 2012

The Texas Oil Company barrel ain't junk. It may bring a decent price. They were around and had offices in Beaumont, TX around the time of Spindletop. There is still hundreds of millions of dollars tied up in the court system due to claims on the Spindletop well.

naturegirl · Jan 18, 2012

I'm glad for any land restoration anywhere, and like I said, things have changed here, and there are much tighter standards enforced, but it's still fairly common to see bare patches of dirt from oil and salt-water spills a long time ago. If a spill happens now, clean-up happens very quickly, as it should. I see the pictures of Florida, it must be a wonderous place for nature, and history too.

I don't know if the Seminoles are filthy rich, but the casino money is making a difference in many tribes, and alot of them are focusing on education now. I'm not a gambler, not sure if casino's are the way to go, but that's the way it is. As always, money can be a curse and/or blessing.

Scar, I think the barrel is pretty neat! And I know the finder thinks so too, it's a big part of history for this area, as well as family history, it's nice to have something not rusted! I think maybe a Texaco collector could shed some info on the barrel, but I doubt it will be sold.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 18, 2012

Scar said:
The Texas Oil Company barrel ain't junk. It may bring a decent price.

She mentioned that there is a lot of galvanized metal around and there is much oilfield leftovers. All that steel is worth money. And there may be some brass.

A barrel that will hold gas or water is always good to have. :icon_thumright:

Just curious Scar, what is a Texas Oil Co barrel worth? :dontknow:

It appears in good condition.

View attachment 600315

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 18, 2012

I missed the part that the barrel was over 100 years old. I would have to agree with Nola Ken that the barrel was recently dumped.

naturegirl · Jan 19, 2012

Where is Nola ken's comment about being recently dumped? :dontknow:

I'm sure it wasn't, and I did say new info shows it could have been used as late as 1954, Texaco still used barrels labled like this, so that's probably the right date. Thanks for your interest BCH, I'm sure the barrel was empty when it was left behind all those years ago :hello:

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 19, 2012

naturegirl said:
Where is Nola ken's comment about being recently dumped?

Nola Ken's comment is the 2nd reply.

naturegirl said:
I'm sure it wasn't, and I did say new info shows it could have been used as late as 1954, Texaco still used barrels labled like this, so that's probably the right date. Thanks for your interest BCH, I'm sure the barrel was empty when it was left behind all those years ago

Well that explains it. Thats too bad that new information shows that this barrel is not that old. That would make it less valuable.

Scar says it will still bring a decent price from a collector. :dontknow:

Im curious as to the collector value. It looks like a nice strong drum. I see some rust. If the bottom is good, I would keep it. :icon_thumright:

Did you magnet test it? Maybe it has some kind of inner lining.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 19, 2012

Scar said:
The Texas Oil Company barrel ain't junk. It may bring a decent price.

Since I am a person that wants to learn, I decided to do some research. This is the best I can come up with. There are a few old oil drums on eBay and Etsy. So far the only one that has a bid is the Sinclair and its stands at $49 which is not bad.. Keep an eye on that one. It appears that colorful drums are preferred by collectors esp Sinclair. I am not sure a plain drum would have much collector value (outside of the value of the drum itself) considering the cost of shipping.. :dontknow:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=vintage+oil+drum

Here is someone selling just a lid. http://www.etsy.com/listing/7962345...h_query=oil+drum&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=