Teapot Rock, also Teapot Dome, is a distinctive sedimentary
rock formation
A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock (geology), rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock Geological formation, formation ...
and nearby
oil field
A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the prese ...
in
Natrona County, Wyoming
Natrona County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 79,955, making it the second-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Casper, Wyoming, Casper. N ...
that became the focus of the
Teapot Dome bribery scandal during the administration of President
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
. The site was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1974.
Description
The eroded
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
formation stands about tall and is about in circumference. It is located a few hundred yards east of
Wyoming Highway 259, about north of
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is a city in and the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the List of municipalities in Wyoming, second-most populous city in the state after Cheyenne, Wyoming, Cheyenne, with the population at 59,038 as of th ...
in the
Powder River Basin
The Powder River Basin is a geologic structural basin in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming, about east to west and north to south, known for its extensive coal reserves. The former hunting grounds of the Oglala Lakota, the area is very ...
near Teapot Creek, a tributary of Salt Creek.

The outline of the rock once resembled a
teapot
A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water and serving the resulting infusion called tea; usually put in a teacup. It is one of the core components of teaware.
Teapots usually have an ...
and gave its name to several man-made and natural features, including a
geologic structural uplift known as the Teapot Dome, and an oil field about east.
Over time, the features that gave the formation its name have been eroded by windstorms; the "handle" disappeared in 1930 and the "spout" in 1962.
History
In 1915, the Teapot Dome Oil Field was designated Naval Petroleum Reserve Number Three as part of a program to ensure that the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
, which was converting to
oil-fired boilers, would have sufficient fuel reserves in an emergency.
It was one of several fields in the area, the largest of which was the
Salt Creek Oil Field
The Salt Creek Oil Field is located in Natrona County, Wyoming. By 1970, more oil had been produced by this field than any other in the Rocky Mountains region and accounted for 20 percent of the total production in Wyoming.Barlow and Haun, p ...
. By comparison to the Salt Creek Field peak production of in 1923, the Teapot Dome field had about 64 wells, with a few producing more than .
In February 2015, the field was sold by the
Department of Energy
A ministry of energy or department of energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-rela ...
to a private firm.
See also
*
List of individual rocks
The following is a list of notable rocks and stones.
See also
* List of largest meteorites on Earth
* List of longest natural arches
* List of rock formations
* List of rock formations that resemble human beings
* List of rocks on Mars
* Lists ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Historic American Engineering Record
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). It administers three programs established to document historic places in the United States: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American E ...
documentation, filed under Midwest, Natrona County, WY:
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Historic American Engineering Record in Wyoming
Landforms of Natrona County, Wyoming
Rock formations of Wyoming
Teapot Dome scandal
Natural features on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming
National Register of Historic Places in Natrona County, Wyoming
Naval Petroleum Reserve
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