Then & Now: From Spindletop to cybersecurity, how oil and gas safety evolved

Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised · Aug 18, 2026 · 18m

What began as an oil and gas industry where workers relied on experience, instinct, and sometimes...luck...has evolved into one built on rigorous safety systems, risk management, and continuous improvement. In this Then & Now episode of the Oil & Gas ReEnterprised podcast, host Laura Bell-Hammer traces the history of safety in oil and gas, from the uncontrolled Spindletop blowout of 1901 and the invention of the blowout preventer to the structured health, safety, security, and environmental (HSE) programs that guide operations today. Along the way, OGJ examines major events that reshaped the…