Corporate Dowsers: Oil, Gas, and Underground Treasure

Join host Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating intersection of traditional dowsing practices and corporate America. This episode examines how major oil, gas, and mining companies employed professional dowsers throughout the 20th century as part of their exploration strategies. Discover documented cases from Phillips Petroleum Company, Anaconda Copper Company, and other major corporations that quietly integrated dowsing methods alongside conventional geological surveys. Learn about the economic motivations behind these decisions, the substantial fees commanded by professional dowsers, and how the practice evolved from water location to petroleum and mineral exploration. The episode covers the golden age of corporate dowsing from the 1930s through 1960s, examining both reported successes and failures, before exploring how advancing technology eventually replaced these traditional methods. This unique chapter in American industrial history reveals how folk traditions briefly found their way into boardrooms and drilling operations, offering insight into the evolution of resource exploration and the business world's pragmatic approach to managing financial risk in uncertain ventures.