Patriot Realm

The history of kerosene and the subsequent development of the oil industry is a fascinating journey that began in the mid-19th century.

Kerosene, a once-unknown fuel, revolutionised lighting, heating, and industrial energy production, laying the foundation for the modern petroleum industry that continues to power the world today. 

Before kerosene was discovered, lighting and heating relied heavily on sources like candles, wood, and whale oil. Whale oil was the dominant fuel for lamps, but it was expensive and the whaling industry was becoming unsustainable as whale populations were being rapidly depleted.

As industrialisation gathered momentum in the 19th century, demand for a cheaper and more efficient source of lighting grew.....

The stage for kerosene’s development was set by scientific advancements in the field of chemistry and geology. By the early 1800s, some chemists were experimenting with different methods to distill liquids from natural materials like coal, tar, and bitumen. These materials contained hydrocarbons that could be refined into fuels, but no one had yet developed a process to create a widely available, affordable, and clean-burning fuel.

A short video that explains what hydrocarbons are. 

The breakthrough in the search for a new fuel came in 1846 when Canadian geologist and inventor Abraham Gesner succeeded in distilling a liquid fuel from coal. Gesner, born in Nova Scotia in 1797, had an early interest in geology and the natural world. Although he started his career as a medical doctor, his passion for natural sciences eventually led him to study mineralogy and fossil fuels.

In the early 1840s, Gesner began experimenting with bituminous substances and coal in an effort to develop a fuel that could replace whale oil in lamps. He discovered that by heating coal in a process known as destructive distillation, he could produce a clean-burning liquid that he called "kerosene," derived from the Greek word "keros" (meaning wax). Kerosene burned brighter, was more stable, and cost far less than whale oil, making it a highly attractive fuel for lighting homes, businesses, and factories.

Here if you missed it yesterday. 

Gesner’s invention of kerosene had an immediate and profound impact on our society. His new fuel quickly replaced whale oil as the dominant source of lighting in North America and Europe, and kerosene lamps became common household items by the 1850s. Its availability meant that homes and factories could be illuminated after dark at an affordable cost, increasing productivity and improving quality of life.

However, the true original inventor of kerosene is Ignacy Łukasiewicz, A Polish pharmacist born in 1822  who became involved in political activities supporting Polish independence. This led to his arrest in 1846 for conspiring against Austrian rule. After his release in 1848, he resumed his work and further developed his interest in distillation and petroleum.

The video has English subtitles. 

In 1853, after extensive experimentation, Łukasiewicz succeeded in refining kerosene using a distillation process that removed impurities from the crude oil. Łukasiewicz’s next major breakthrough came in 1853 when he designed and built the first modern kerosene lamp in collaboration with local craftsmen. This kerosene lamp provided a steady, bright, and relatively safe source of light, vastly improving the quality of indoor lighting.

One of the first public demonstrations of his invention took place on July 31, 1853, at the Lwów General Hospital. The hospital had been operating with limited light, especially during night surgeries, and Łukasiewicz’s new lamp greatly improved the conditions for doctors. His kerosene lamp became so successful that it was soon adopted for street lighting in Lwów, and its use quickly spread to other cities in Europe.

The rise of kerosene also had significant environmental and economic effects. By providing an alternative to whale oil, it helped reduce the demand for whaling, which had decimated whale populations. Kerosene became the preferred fuel for lighting, and its widespread use slowed the exploitation of whales for their oil, sparing them from near-extinction.

In addition to lighting, kerosene soon found other uses. It became a popular fuel for heating and cooking in both rural and urban households. Its versatility, affordability, and abundance made it indispensable in many regions, particularly in areas without access to electricity.

While Gesner initially produced kerosene from coal and bitumen, it was not long before oil became the preferred source material. The connection between kerosene and crude oil was made in the mid-19th century when entrepreneurs began investigating more efficient ways to extract oil from underground deposits.

At this time, crude oil was known to exist in places like Pennsylvania and parts of Canada, where it often seeped to the surface naturally. However, collecting this surface oil was inefficient, and the quantities were too small to meet the growing demand for kerosene.

The key to unlocking large quantities of oil came in 1859 when Edwin Drake, an American prospector, drilled the world’s first successful oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Hired by the Seneca Oil Company (formerly the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company), Drake used steam-powered drilling technology, an innovation adapted from salt-well drilling. After months of effort, he struck oil at a depth of 69 feet, and crude oil flowed from the ground in sufficient quantities for commercial use. 

While Edwin Drake is often credited with drilling the first oil well in the America in 1859, however Ignacy Łukasiewicz’s well predates it by five years. 

In 1854, Łukasiewicz, along with his business partners, established the world’s first modern oil well near the village of Bóbrka in what is now southeastern Poland. This well was hand-dug to a depth of about 30 metres and produced crude oil that could be refined into kerosene. This successful well marked the beginning of the oil industry in Poland, making Łukasiewicz a key figure in the global history of petroleum.

While Ignacy Łukasiewicz was the first to drill a modern oil well and refine kerosene, Edwin Drake is more widely credited with the invention of the oil well due to the significant global impact of his work in the United States, the media attention it attracted, and the rapid development of the American oil industry. Łukasiewicz’s contributions were crucial to the early oil industry, but his work did not have the same immediate commercial or international visibility, and it remains largely acknowledged within Europe rather than globally.

Drake’s success revolutionised the oil industry in the Western world. His method of drilling made it possible to extract large quantities of oil from underground, which could then be refined into kerosene and other petroleum products. 

The discovery of oil wells led to an explosion of interest in petroleum, particularly in the United States, where new oil fields were discovered in states like Texas, California, and Oklahoma. Oil drilling techniques rapidly improved, and the production of crude oil soared. This newfound supply of crude oil soon displaced coal as the primary source material for kerosene production.

With Drake’s well and the growing demand for kerosene, oil quickly became a highly valuable commodity. The oil industry expanded rapidly, and by the late 19th century, major oil fields were being developed in North America, the Middle East, and Russia. The widespread availability of oil transformed not only energy production but also transportation, industrialisation, and geopolitics.

As crude oil production grew, new uses for petroleum emerged. Refining processes were developed to produce a variety of products from crude oil, including gasoline, lubricants, and later, petrochemicals. The expansion of the oil industry led to the growth of powerful corporations such as Standard Oil, founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870.

Standard Oil quickly monopolised the American oil industry, controlling the production, refining, and distribution of oil, and it became one of the most powerful companies in history.

Although kerosene was the primary product of the early oil industry, the development of the internal combustion engine in the late 19th century marked the beginning of a new era in energy consumption. Gasoline, which was initially considered a byproduct of kerosene refining, became a critical fuel with the rise of the automobile industry.

The invention of gasoline-powered engines by engineers such as Karl Benz and Henry Ford led to a dramatic increase in the demand for gasoline. By the early 20th century, the automobile had become a dominant mode of transportation, and gasoline overtook kerosene as the primary product of the oil industry.

This transition further expanded the oil industry’s influence on global economics and politics. The oil-producing nations, particularly those in the Middle East and North America, became strategically important, and control over oil resources became a major factor in global power dynamics.

The oil industry has played a central role in shaping modern geopolitics. Control over oil reserves has been a key factor in international conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, where vast oil reserves are concentrated. Wars and political tensions have often been linked to the control and distribution of oil resources, further emphasising oil’s influence on global power structures.

Today, oil remains a dominant force in the global energy landscape. Kerosene, while still used in some regions for lighting and heating, has largely been replaced by electricity in most parts of the world. However, kerosene continues to play an essential role in aviation as jet fuel, highlighting its enduring legacy.

The modern petroleum industry has evolved into a complex global network of exploration, extraction, refining, and distribution. It produces a wide range of products beyond fuels, including plastics, fertilisers, and chemicals that are essential to modern life. Oil companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP are among the largest corporations in the world, reflecting the ongoing importance of oil in the global economy.

From Ignacy Łukasiewicz,  Abraham Gesner and Edwin Drake,  these men laid the foundation for an industry that has shaped the modern world. The oil industry has fueled industrialisation, powered transportation, and revolutionised the way humans live and work. In truth, there is no doubt that the invention of kerosene and the rise of oil have profoundly influenced the course of history.