Car History. 04 Discovery of Petroleum
Until the mid-1800s, most household lighting at night relied on primitive lamps that used animal fat candles or rags soaked in oil as wicks. However, these lighting devices had problems: the illumination was weak, and soot accumulated, making the interior dirty.
With the Industrial Revolution, populations were moving from rural areas to industrial cities, and people increasingly needed indoor lighting that allowed them to see well at night. The best lighting fuel of the time was whale oil. It was highly sought after because of its excellent lighting effect, but due to the limits of whaling, it was scarce and expensive.
In the 1790s, William Murdoch, a partner of Watt and Boulton, discovered a method of producing coal gas by heating coal in the absence of air. He also devised a way to store this gas and supply it through pipes.
By the mid-19th century, coal gas began to replace whale oil for street lamps, shops, and household lighting. However, coal gas lighting had several flaws. It was expensive, carried a high risk of explosion, was toxic, and since the gas was supplied through pipes, lamps were fixed to walls or ceilings and could not be moved.
In 1854, Abraham Gesner of Canada patented a process of distilling mineral oil obtained from resin, common in eastern Canada, to produce kerosene. He proved that kerosene was comparable to whale oil as a lighting fuel and had more advantages than coal gas.
Kerosene, unlike coal gas, posed no risk of explosion, burned quietly, and lamps could be moved anywhere. Unlike coal gas lamps, kerosene required no costly installation of supply pipes. Kerosene lamps caused a sensation at the time.
In 1859, Edwin Drake, an engineer for the Seneca Oil Company in the United States, learned that crude oil was seeping to the surface in northwestern Pennsylvania. At that time, crude oil was thought to be a liquid form of coal, abundant in the Pennsylvania region. Drake reasoned that, rather than producing only a few barrels a day from surface seeps, drilling into the ground to extract it in larger quantities could yield great profits, given the growing demand for kerosene lamps.
Several wealthy men from New Haven, Connecticut, shared Drake’s vision and financed experimental attempts.
Edwin L. Drake, the first to succeed in commercial oil drilling
In August 1859, Edwin Drake and his investors stood before a large wooden derrick erected on farmland in northwestern Pennsylvania. At the top of the derrick was a device that wound a rope, and at the end of the cable was an iron rod. This method, originally used in China to obtain underground salt, was adapted by Drake’s derrick. But instead of human power, steam engines repeatedly lifted and dropped the iron rod, boring a hole in the ground. Thus, the world’s first oil well and drilling rig were created to obtain crude oil.
The first drilling site
As they drilled into the ground, one investor approached Drake and asked:
“Mr. Drake, do you really believe that this method will produce oil from the ground?”
Drake smiled and replied:
“Yes, indeed. The crude oil seeping from the surface in Pennsylvania will certainly flow through any hole made in the ground. The only question is how deep the oil lies. That will determine whether this venture succeeds or fails.”
A few days later, when the drill reached about 75 feet underground (1 foot = approx. 30.5 cm), oil did not gush spectacularly into the sky. Instead, it began to flow steadily through a pipe. All the barrels at the site were filled to the brim. Drake and his investors celebrated their success and expanded the business to produce more kerosene.
Drake’s venture into kerosene production unexpectedly received a tailwind. With the Industrial Revolution, factories were springing up everywhere, and the fast-operating machines desperately needed a substitute for lard as a lubricant. This substitute turned out to be petroleum, a byproduct of refining crude oil. In 1866, Dr. John W. Ellis, a physician specializing in dentistry and internal medicine, introduced the world’s first branded lubricant product—Valvoline.
Dr. John W. Ellis and the evolution of the Valvoline trademark
The brand name “Valve-o-Line,” later shortened to Valvoline, was inspired by its role in ensuring the smooth operation of mechanical valves. It was sold as a lubricant and was quickly adopted by many factories. Over time, Valvoline grew into a global company, gaining fame as a lubricant for automobiles, ships, and aircraft.
Modern Valvoline products
The rise of the petroleum industry in America supported the broader Industrial Revolution and the expansion of settlement across the continent. After Drake’s success, the oil boom rivaled the California Gold Rush. Oil wells sprang up across western Pennsylvania, leading to an oversupply.
Soon, petroleum production exceeded the capacity of distribution systems. This abundant resource would later encounter Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler and Karl Benz, transforming into the powerful force that drove the birth of the automobile.
Meanwhile, the petroleum industry expanded worldwide. In the 1880s, companies founded by the Rothschilds, Ludwig, and Marcus Samuel began oil development. In the 1890s, Royal Dutch was established to exploit oil in Indonesia. These companies competed with Standard Oil for dominance of the global oil market. Through this competition, Samuel’s Shell and Royal Dutch grew into giant multinational corporations.
A particularly fascinating story comes from 1887. Marcus Samuel, well-known for trade with the East, imported exotic seashells, which became fashionable for clothing and ornaments. Later, he began selling Russian kerosene in Asian markets, and his oil business grew rapidly. His son, Marcus Samuel II, inherited the business and successfully expanded it.
When he purchased his first oil tanker, he named it after the most popular seashell of the time: the Murex. Thanks to this name, his fleet was called the “Shell Line.” By 1891, the term “Shell” was officially in use for the first time.
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