The offshore petroleum industry has become a huge, distinct branch of the oil and gas industry in a relatively short time. Since its official beginnings only 50 years ago when explorers ventured from land into the open ocean to extract oil and gas from beneath the ocean bottom, the industry has taken astounding leaps in technical and commercial know-how. Pioneering Offshore: The Early Years takes over-water petroleum development from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century through the mid-1960s. In addition to the historical narrative, interwoven into Pioneering Offshore are stories from this time period obtained from in-depth interviews of more than 125 industry pioneers, providing a historical context for their contributions in the industry's advancement and in the development of its distinct technologies. As intended, Pioneering Offshore provides a narrative that, while as chronologically and historically accurate as possible, remains true also to the industry's human spirit. This new book offers an intimate feel for the industry's early years and will be essential to grasping the enormous scope of the search for offshore oil and gas during subsequent decades.