The History of Oil s Use in Society
The oil industry as we know it today has roots in another oil used a
long time ago.
This oil at the time was used to fuel lamps and was
considered a technological
advancement over the
candle.
The oil being used
was...
More
The History of Oil s Use in Society
The oil industry as we know it today has roots in another oil used a
long time ago.
This oil at the time was used to fuel lamps and was
considered a technological
advancement over the
candle.
The oil being used
was harvested from the
ocean in the form of blubber
from the Sperm whale.
This
particular whale oil was
considered to be of the
highest quality, as it did not
create smoke or odors while
being burnt.
Sadly the
Sperm whale was hunted to the point that supply became scarce.
It
was the mid 1800’s and a need for an alternate lamp fuel had arisen.
Around 1854 George
Bissell began to
experiment with a
black liquid
substance, referred
to as “rock oil”, that
ignited when
touched by a flame.
Believing that this
new found
substance could be
refined and utilized
as an alternate fuel
to whale oil, Bissell,
along with a few
additional investors,
created the Seneca
Oil Company in New
Haven, Connecticut.
©2009 Heartland Energy Development Corporation
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