Tulsa’s early version of the Golden Driller is hoisted up onto an oil derrick in 1959.Tulsa’s energy sector highs and lowsEarly 20th century: Tulsa defined as new “oil capital of the world” after giant finds at Red Fork (1901) and Glenn Pool (1905)
1918: Dave and Miller Williams move pipeline and construction firm, Williams, from Fort Smith, Ark. to Tulsa.
1920: Bill Payne joins Walt Helmerich to start drilling rig company that becomes Helmerich & Payne.
1923: Tulsa oil men create first International Petroleum Exposition and Congress.
1986: Oil bust leads to mass layoffs industry-wide, and Tulsa oil and gas companies are no exception.
1989: Reeding and Bates Corp. moves to Houston, only five years after adding 20 floors to Mid-Continent Tower in downtown Tulsa
1996: Warren Petroleum Co. ceases operations as NGC Corp. moves remaining employees to Houston.
2001: Parker Drilling Co. moves corporate HQ to Houston
2002: Bartlesville-based Phillips Petroleum Co. merges with Conoco Inc. and moves HQ to Houston
2002: Helmerich & Payne spins off exploration and production segment, merges it with Key Production to create Cimarex. Merged company based in Denver but maintains significant Tulsa office.
2004: Citgo Petroleum Corp. moves HQ to Houston.
2009: Holly Corp. (later HollyFrontier) buys Tulsa’s refineries from Sunoco Inc. and Sinclair Oil Corp.
2010: Oklahoma City-based SandRidge Energy buys out Tulsa-based Arena Resources Inc. for $1.6 billion
2011: Four Tulsa-based companies — Rose Rock Midstream, Mid-Con Energy Partners, Laredo Petroleum Inc. and WPX Energy Inc. — go public through IPOs or spinoffs. Baker Hughes announces major expansion at Tulsa area plants.
Early 2012: RAM Energy renamed Halcon Resources Corp. and HQ moving to Houston. RAM maintaining Tulsa offices.
