ABSTRACT
As already noted (Chapter 1), petroleum and its derivatives have been used for millennia (Abraham, 1945; Forbes, 1958a,b, 1959; James and Thorpe, 1994) and it is perhaps the most important raw material consumed in modern society. It provides not only raw materials for the ubiquitous plastics and other products, but also fuel for energy, industry, heating, and transportation. Thus, the use of petroleum and the development of related technology is not such a modern subject as we are inclined to believe. However, the petroleum industry is essentially a twentieth-century industry but to understand the evolution of the industry, it is essential to have a brief understanding of the first uses of petroleum.
