Historical Outtline of Talara

Chroniclers do not mention this region in their reports, on the other hand, they mention widely the Chira, Piura and Tumbes valleys, and this because talking about it’s geographical environment, Talara is a vast desert whose dunes go into sea.

During the times of the Colony, by means of native information it became Known the existing of a mine of “Cope tar “where the Spanish went to search it to use it applying it to their ropes and fishing equipment to caulk boats.

For his part Raimondi, remarks “That is Amotape exist asphalt which being mixed with
Clayey sand, looks as masses whose color is nearly chocolate with a light bituminous color and that it flames up and burns with darkened flames, leaving a sandy tisuna”

Just in 1849, a little bit more than century, the first “black gold” prospectors started to arrive, since oil was a vital product for the industrial civilization that was hidden below it’s arid and desert surface. Under the sign of wok and ambition Talara was born as a simple labourers’ quarters, as a camp to transform into what at present is: a city.

Being Antonio Manso de Velasco count of Superunda Viceroy of Peru, The Spanish Royal Crown provided that the oilfields whose value was entirely known by the Spanish became royal inheritance.

As years went by and in 1710, a family named De la Cruz was allowed to run the mine for a century, in other words till 1810.

On making the Viceroyalty into republic, the Peruvian state was the legitimate heir of the mine, which was transferred to Jose Antonio Quintana in September the 28th, 1826 as payment for the credit of tour thousand nine hundred seventy four pesos that Mr. Quintana had lended Ecuador during the independence war.

Later on Mr. Quintana sold the property to Jose de Lama. After Mr. Lama died in 1850 the property was divided into heirs, being the mine and the so-called zone “La Brea” given to Mrs. Josefa de Lama, meanwhile de section called “Parinas” was transfered to widow Mrs. Luisa Godos de Lama.
After wards, t6his mine became Mr. Genaro Helguero’s property who traveled to the United States to hire Eduardo Fowks to bring to the country the necessary machinery and equipments to stars the oil working.

The high cost required by this enterprise, caused the property transferred in favour of Herbert Tweddle, according to the conveyance of September the third,1888, who at a time transferred half his rights to his fellow countryman William Keswisck.

The following year, the partners handed over the mine and the property to the English Society “London and Pacific Petroleum” for 99 years.

In 1914, the English company transferred the leasing to the Canadian International Petroleum, Which in 1924 bought from Mr. Keswick, the concessionaire Mr. Tweddle and heirs it was exclusively Peruvian state’s property.

This operation took place the 28th of February, 1924 in the presence of the Peruvian Consul in London, as it is stated in the conveyance registred in the register of Real State of Piura, page 171, volume 19, entry 6.