The Lightning Torpedo Company was an

oil well shooting Oil well shooting is a method of increasing production of an oil well by removing obstructions to drilling, straightening crooked holes, preventing water penetration, and/or increaseing the flow of oil. Prior to 1910, a shell, made of dynamite and ...

and operating company based in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, Oklahoma, during the 1930s and 1940s oil rush till the early 1950s. The company grew under the leadership of Francis "Tug" Irving, a prominent oil well shooter and operator in Oklahoma during that period.

Background

The company was initially established as Lighter Torpedo Company in 1933, with Irving taking on the role of its manager. In July 1936, Irving purchased the company and rebranded it as Lightning Torpedo Company.

Growth and expansion

The company expanded throughout Oklahoma and Texas. The company also manufactured its own

nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin (NG) (alternative spelling nitroglycerine), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by ...

for use in shooting oil wells. The company was unique for oil industry in the region. The company ceased operations in June 1952 after the death of Tug Irving.

References

Oil companies of the United States {{improve categories, date=December 2024 Petroleum in Oklahoma Petroleum in the United States