# Those "nodding" oil pumps scattered about the oil fields

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 9, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838 "2024-01-09T18:03:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838/21 "2024-01-10T19:42:21Z")

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> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> I don’t see any pipe to carry it away; looks like it just pools on the ground around the well.

If you freeze the video at about the 2:18 mark, you can see the piping. It’s probably the pipe on the right side of the well that carries the oil/water mix to the gun barrel, where the oil is separated from the water.

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838/22 "2024-01-10T20:58:52Z")

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Also during the Great Depression, the town of Herscher, IL, had so much natural gas that it was provided to residents at no cost. It reportedly was common for people to leave their stoves lit because there were no pilot lights and matches cost money.

Source:

> **[Wild Kankakee](https://books.google.com/books?id=PQCVMwEACAAJ&newbks=0&hl=en)**

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838/23 "2024-01-11T06:14:49Z")

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> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> Your second link takes me to somewhere strange and confusing.

The church web site? Look at the thumbnails to see the steps going down to the turnpike.

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838/24 "2024-01-11T20:25:00Z")

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Took me to some weird “California Consumer Protection” thing, and wouldn’t let me see nuthin’!

I hate California!

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