Count Adam Skrzyński was born in Libusza, where oil was extracted from 1856 and where the pioneers of petroleum distillation began their bold work. He died in Marienbad. He opened an oil refinery in his home town. He produced pharmaceutical petrol and sold it to England, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and France.He displayed his products at the industrial fairs organised in Galicia, including the 1882 fair in Przemyśl. In 1874, he built a railway line to connect the refinery with the main line running through the nearby village of Zagórzany. He imported experienced miners from Canada (including William Henry McGarvey), who popularised the Canadian (stem) drilling method. Not only did Skrzyński take care of his business but he was also an active member of the National Oil Association, which handled the mutual business of all oilmen.
Albert Fauck was born in Słupsk and died in Marcinkowice. While in emigration in the United States, he fought in the Civil War, studied, and worked as an intern at coal and ore mines. His intuition of future success brought him back to Europe. In 1863, Fauck opened an oil company and launched intensive exploration. He quickly rose to fame as a prominent expert in drilling and tried to improve the methods and machinery used to extract black gold. He was the one who started the Pennsylvania drilling school and improved the Fabian cutter. In 1872, he replaced manual hammer drilling with steam machines, which considerably accelerated the development of the Galician oil industry. His devices were able to reach deeper and deeper – he reached a depth of 636m in Krościenko and 1,000m in Boryslav. He contributed his experiences to the early science of oil extraction.