This Jack Line oil pump is in the Kern River Oil District, near Bakersfield. The cable is clearly seen going out of the picture to the pulling machinery. The oil drum cut in half is filled with weights to off set the weight of the cable.
On the hill in the background is another Pump Jack like the one in the above photo. This is a series of photos at a Jack Line Oil Field along the Kern River, Northwest of Bakersfield California.
This is another small oil field north of the Kern River District. There were more wooden oil derricks around in this field out of view of this photo. But there are other pieces into making an operating oil field such as the Steam Boilers (seen in the forground) and the Oil Storage Tanks.
This is a portable steam boiler (having wheels) so to be moved around the field where it was needed. It may be used to power a wells drilling equipment or drive steam into the oil strada so to heat the heavy oil to be easily pumped.
When this picture was taken, this oil well was still in operation. Now it is part of an oil museum complex in Taft.
North of Maricopa were these two Walking Beam wells pumps still working in the early 1970s. (Photo above and below.) The well was drilled with the same Walking Beam drilling method.
The big wheel once was used to belt a stationary steam engine onto when the well was being drilled.
Here were several wells with derricks using Pump Jacks located north of Taft.
This group of buildings and tanks were maybe used to collect oil and operate pumps for a pipe line.
If you like oil history, then may I suggest this fine book "Drilling Through Time" by William Rintoul. Published by the California Department of Conservation, Divison of Oil and Gas. ISBN 0-9627124-0-X
NEW Downtown Los Angeles Oil Bulk Plant.
NEW Jack Line Oil Field at Simi Valley
NEW Oil Field Trucks
Back to Early California Oil Industry Page
For those in High School and may be looking for a career in geology. Montana Tech has one of the few Petroleum Engineering programs left in the US, as well as Mining Engineering. Montana Tech's website is www.mtech.edu and this direct link to Professor Diane Wolfgram PHD, Mining Engineering department's web page.
