Alan Cockrell

The discovery of oil in Tinsley, Mississippi, in 1939 captivated the South and has deeply affected the region ever since. At the end of 1940, over 133 wells were flowing, and speculators were drilling holes and staking claims all along the Gulf Coast and its immediate environs. Consequently, the region's economy, ecosystems, and politics have been shaped by black gold since the end of World War II. Alan Cockrell, a petroleum geologist, provides an insider's account of the science of oil hunting, the political processes that help or hinder it, and the advances in technology that make it all possible. This book documents the ways in which wars, foreign competition, governmental regulation, and new business models affect oil exploration, and what that means to the South's people. Just as significantly, Cockrell provides compelling commentary on the people who hunt for petroleum, from pioneering wildcatters such as Chesley Pruet to savvy geologists focusing on science and technology Drilling Ahead documents the triumphs and travails of oil hunters. Mavericks, underworld characters, professors, lawyers, and environmentalists have all played major roles in the South's oil production. A fascinating study of corporations, economies, and people, Drilling Ahead is a compelling, opinionated narrative as well as an exhaustively researched history. Published for the Mississippi Geological Society

Inspired by actual events in the 1950s rural South. The moneymen turned him away, laughing, sneering, saying his science was bad; saying he was too far away from oil, calling him a fool, a dupe, a hopeless loser. His peers, smelling the stench of failure, distanced themselves from him. His lender - the few he had - fidgeted, fearing he was unlucky. His bills and worries mounted. His drilling rig, "Lucky Lucy," true to the antitheses of her name, broke down almost daily. His crew, tired of working for nothing, threatened to walk away. Crafty, whispering voices, from figures waiting from the shadows, schemed to get at that which he sought, if he were lucky enough to find it. Eager, desperate faces of farmers, merchants and townspeople stood aside watching, waiting, praying his good luck would be theirs as well. Few believed him, and as his bit twisted its way into the Earth's mysterious belly, one who did, a woman he wondered if he could trust, told him what he couldn't seem to fathom - that his real discovery would likely not be at the bottom of his hole.

Inspired by actual events in the 1950s rural South. The moneymen turned him away, laughing, sneering, saying his science was bad; saying he was too far away from oil, calling him a fool, a dupe, a hopelss loser. His peers, smelling the stnech of failure, distanced themselves from him. His lender - the few he had - fidgeted, fearing he was unlucky. His bills and worries mounted. His drilling rig, "Lucky Lucy," true to the auntitheses of her name, broke down almost daily. His crew, tired of working for nothing, threatened to walk away. Crafty, whispering voices, from figures wathing from teh shadows, schemed to get at that which he sought, if he were lucky enough to find it. Eager, desperate faces of farmers, merchants and townspeople stood aside watching, waiting, praying his good luch would be theirs, as well. Few believed him, and as his bit twisted it's way into the Earth's mysterious belly, one who did, a woman he wondered if he could trust, told him what he couldn't seem to fathom - that his real discovery would likely not be at the bottom of his hole.

The story of the thousands of crew-members who flew, serviced and managed the jets in history's largest air operation, Desert Storm. This book gives expression to the love of flight, as well as the dedication to the endangered values of duty, honour and country.