Fishtail Bit

Unusual looking drill bit used in the Texas oil fields

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The first rotary drill for oil production was invented in 1845. Rotary drilling revolutionized the petroleum industry after the 1901 discovery of oil at Spindletop Hill in Texas launched a drilling boom.

The fishtail bit was an early type of rotary drill bit used for drilling oil. The name came from its flat, chisel-like shape, resembling a fish tail. The fishtail bit was the primary rotary bit in Texas until the 1930s. It worked very well in the softer soil formations on the coast; however, it did not do well in harder rock formations found further inland. The fishtail was replaced by more efficient bit designs, notably the two-cone roller bit that was first introduced in 1909.

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Fishtail Bit Artifact from Kilgore, TX
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