ABSTRACT
Drilling for and refining of petroleum provided hydrocarbon fuels that became the dominant energy source for transportation and industry in the 20th century. The introduction and improvement of internal combustion engines required new refining procedures based on chemical change, including thermal and catalytic cracking, platforming, and alkylation. Diesel and jet engines also needed specific fuel compositions. Petroleum economics has been characterized by intermittent periods of perceived shortages and excess supply, further complicated by political factors. This, along with concern about the climatic effects of fossil fuel use, has prompted investigation of alternative sources of liquid fuels, including coal, natural gas, and biomaterials. The refining processes also provide alkenes, such as ethylene, propylene, and the butenes, that are used to make petrochemicals. After WWII, evidence began to accumulate that fossil fuel use was increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and almost certainly contributing to global warming. This added yet another complication to the economic and political factors of petroleum production and use.
