The Early Cartography of Petroleum Resources in Italy (1866–1926)

The paper outlines the birth and development of petroleum resources mapping in Italy. Starting with the pioneering works of Antonio Stoppani, who in 1866 published the first map of petroleum zones of the Emilia region, thematic cartography went hand in hand with the preparation of the geological map of Italy, a project promoted by the government as early as 1861. Soon after the Italian unification, petroleum exploration kicked off in many areas of the country and generated the elaboration of technical and statistical reports carried out by the Corpo Reale delle Miniere (royal corps of mines) and the Regio Ufficio Geologico (royal geological survey), which began to rationalize the cartography of petroleum resources in 1891. The time limit of this study is set at 1926, coinciding with the unification of the mining laws and the foundation of AGIP, the Italian state-owned oil company in charge of the management of this strategic industrial sector for the years to come.