Blockbusters from Oil #nn

The comic tells the true story of Standard Oil's development of synthetic toluene during World War II. After six years of research attempting to extract toluene from petroleum, Standard Oil chemists finally succeeded in January 1935, but kept the discovery secret until Hitler's rise to power made the development critical for American defense. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Standard Oil rapidly constructed a $12 million production plant at Baytown, Texas, which began operations in September 1941 and made its first shipment of toluene in October, producing nearly twice the previous peak rate and supplying essential explosive materials for the Army-Navy war effort.