The Wallachian Oil Industry: Romania's First Black Gold Boom

Before the 20th century turned oil into a global obsession, Romania was already drilling. This episode takes you into the early oil fields of Wallachia — the crude-soaked hills around Ploiești where horse-drawn wagons hauled barrels before refineries existed. We follow the story of the Mehedinți brothers, who pioneered the first systematic oil extraction in the 1850s, and the rise of the first Romanian refinery at Râfov. We explore how foreign capital from Germany and Britain rushed in, how the state tried to regulate a chaotic boom, and how the oil wealth transformed small villages into industrial hubs. We also look at the darker side: the environmental damage, the exploitation of workers, and the seeds of the industry's role in both world wars. Along the way, we meet figures like the French geologist Auguste de Colnet, who mapped the oil sands, and the Romanian engineer Ion Gigurtu, who later became a controversial prime minister. This is a story of primitive technology, wildcat speculation, and the birth of an industry that would shape Romania's modern history — long before the pipelines of Ploiești became a target in WWII.

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