Chapter 2 Oil & Gas History

1. Read and translate the text below: Part 1 Early Petroleum History

Petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid found in rock formations. It consists of a complex mixture¹ of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights² plus other organic compounds³. It is generally accepted that oil is formed mostly from the carbon rich remains⁴ of ancient plankton after exposure to heat and pressure⁵ in the Earth's crust⁶ over hundreds of millions of years. Overtime, the decayed residue⁷ was covered by layers of mud and silt, sinking further down into the earth's crust and preserved there between hot and pressured layers gradually transforming into oil reservoir.

Petroleum in an unrefined state⁸ has been utilized by humans for over 5000 years. In fact, the consensus of opinion⁹ is that oil predates man. Thus, oil in general has been used since early human history, to keep fires ablaze¹⁰ and also for warfare¹¹. Ancient Persian language tablets¹² indicate the medical and lighting uses of petroleum in the upper echelons of their society¹³. Ancient China was also known to burn skimmed oil¹⁴ for light.

An early petroleum industry was established in the 8^th century when the streets of Baghdad were paved with tar¹⁵ derived from petroleum through destructive distillation¹⁶. In the 9^th century, oil fields were exploited in the area around modern Baku, Azerbaijan, to produce naphtha¹⁷. These fields were described by Al-Masudi in the 10^th century, by Marco Polo in the 13^th century who described the output¹⁸ of those oil wells¹⁹ as hundreds of ship loads. Again, petroleum was distilled²⁰ by Al-Raz in the 9^th century, producing chemicals such as kerosene²¹ in the alembic²², which he used in the oil lamp²³ industry.

The importance of petroleum in the world economy evolved²⁴ slowly, with whale oil²⁵ used for lighting into the 19^th century and wood and coal²⁶ used for heating and cooking well into the 20^th century. A petroleum industry emerged²⁷ in North America, in Canada, and the United States.

The industrial revolution²⁸ generated²⁹ an increasing need³⁰ for energy which was fueled mainly by coal, with other sources including whale oil. However, it was discovered that kerosene could be extracted³¹ from crude oil and used as a light and heating fuel³². Petroleum was in great demand³³; and by the twentieth century had become the most valuable commodity³⁴ traded on the world market.

Glossary

#	English/Ukrainian	#	English/Ukrainian
1	complex mixture – складна суміш (речовина)	18	output – видобуток
2	molecular weight – молекулярна маса	19	oil well – нафтова свердловина
3	organic compound – органічна речовина	20	to distill – дистилювати, очищувати
4	carbon rich remains – залишки, насичені вуглецем	21	kerosene – керосин
5	exposure to heat and pressure – піддавання дії тепла і тиску	22	alembic – дистилятор, перегінний апарат
6	Earth's crust – земна кора	23	oil lamp – керосинова лампа
7	residue – залишок, осад	24	to evolve – розвиватися
8	unrefined state – неочищений (сирий) стан	25	whale oil – китовий жир
9	consensus of opinion – одностайність, однодумність	26	coal – вугілля
10	ablaze – палаючий	27	to emerge – з’являтися
11	warfare – війна, військові дії	28	industrial revolution – промислова революція
12	language tablets – дощечки з письменами	29	to generate – створити
13	echelon of society – шар (каста) суспільства	30	increasing need – зростаюча необхідність
14	skimmed oil – нафта, очищена від бензину	31	to extract – видобувати
15	tar – бітум	32	heating fuel – сировина для опалення
16	destructive distillation – деструктивна дистиляція, перегонка, перегін	33	demand – попит
17	naphtha – лігроїн, нафта	34	commodity – продукт, товар