Today, oil and gas is an international, multi-million dollar industry, but where, when and how did the industry begin? Offshore Technology explores the history of oil and gas, from the first discoveries to present-day businesses.
History of oil and gas: First discoveries
Oil and gas had already been used in some capacity, such as in lamps or as a material for construction, for thousands of years before the modern era, with the earliest known oil wells being drilled in China in 347 AD.
The modern history of the oil and gas industry started in 1847, with a discovery made by Scottish chemist James Young. He observed natural petroleum seepage in the Riddings coal mine, and from this seepage distilled both a light thin oil suitable for lamps and a thicker oil suitable for lubrication.
Following these successful distillations, Young experimented further with coal and was able to distil a number of liquids including an early form of petroleum. He patented these oils and paraffin wax, also distilled from coal, in 1850, and later that year formed a partnership with geologist Edward William Binney.
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