Oil Changed the World and How it can Change Your Life – Bobby Lee Koricanek

Oil is a natural resource that has had an enormous impact on the world and continues to do so. It can also change your life, for better or worse — in the following article, I Bobby Lee Koricanek,I will take you across a journey through time. Into the history of the modern oil industry and how it has affected our daily lives.  

Edwin Drake and Titusville

The history of oil is long and complex, but we will look at how it has shaped the world and what its future might hold for us.

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Oil in the US was first discovered in 1859 when Edwin Drake drilled a well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. People were surprised by this discovery because they didn’t know where it came from or how to use it. Soon after, folks started drilling for oil all over the world. The United States was the first to use oil as an energy source when they began employing it to run their trains in 1867. 

By 1880, they had completely switched from coal to oil as their primary fuel source, which was just the tip of the iceberg: that small yet paradigm-shifting discovery in 1859 re-shaped humanity. Old became black gold and one of the most valuable commodities in the world. 

Fossil Fuel — The History of Oil and its Effect on Modern Society

Oil is a fossil fuel that was formed from the remains of ancient sea plants and animals. To put it bluntly, it’s dino soup. But this concoction has had a considerable impact on society — more than the movie Jurassic Park ever did. 

Oil has been used as an energy source for more than 100 years and has played a crucial role in the development of modern society. Oil is used not only as fuel for cars but also to make plastics, fertilizers, and other vitalproducts that shape our modern lifestyles. This has made oil one of the essential fungible commodities out there. It plays a crucial role in the global economy because it is one of the world’s most traded commodities. Today, oil tradingoccurs in specialized markets in the same way as gold, silver, and even FIAT currency. It moves continents, creates kings out of paupers, radicalizes regimes, and relocates armies. 

Dino-Soup — a step-by-step guide to its recipe. 

Oil is a fossil fuel that was formed from the remains of ancient sea plants and animals. When oil is extracted from the ground, it’s usually done through drilling, which results in holes being made in the ground in places with the ideal settings and principles to produce this valuable asset. These holes often create underground pools of oil and gas, which can then be tapped into via pipelines. The heat and pressure generated by the drilling process transform these substances into liquid fuels. 

That crude oil later needs to be refined.

Oil refining is the process of converting crude oil into more useful products. It is one of the most important industrial processes in the world and one of the most polluting. Like other processes that rely on heat, such as cooking or driving, the process produces a wide array of toxic byproducts. 

Petroleum refining includes a wide variety of processes: 

• distillation, in which crude oil is heated and vaporized.
• cracking, in which the vaporized oil is reacted with hydrogen or air to form a liquid mixture containing products such as gasoline and kerosene.
• catalytic cracking, in which an oxide catalyst breaks down large hydrocarbons into smaller ones that can be more easily burned.
• alkylation, in which the mixture is reacted with a chemical compound to make high-octane gasoline.
•  polymerization, in which short-chain olefins are added to the mixture. 

The process also involves separating and purifying crude oil into different components: benzene, paraffin waxes, naphtha – petroleum jelly -, gas oil, kerosene/light gas oil, and dozens more. 

The Advent of the Automobile

The biggest drive to the oil industry occurred with the advent of the automobile, which ultimately created and drove the oil industry. It’s where the highest percentage of its value and profits come from. In the late 1800s, many inventors and engineers were looking for a way to power vehicles other than with horses. In 1885, Karl Benz was granted a patent for an automobile powered by an internal combustion engine — which he called the “Benz Patent Motorwagen.” This invention marked the beginning of the automotive industry as we know it today and made oil, and petrol, one of the most valuable commodities on the planet. 

Oil’s Role in Events such as WWII & 9/11

The events of World War II and the September 11th attacks have profoundly impacted the course of history. The war in Iraq and the War on Terror are both direct consequences of these two events — and in part, it was all due to oil. Let’s discuss ways that oil could be used as a weapon in future conflicts and how it is employed today. Oil has been an essential factor in many wars over the last century.

For example, The Persian Gulf War began on August 2, 1990, when Iraq invaded its neighbor Kuwaiti territory. The Iraqi government claimed that the invasion was to protect their national sovereignty and cited the defense of Islam — this deployment was in response to Kuwait’s refusal to repay Iraq for damage inflicted on them during an earlier border dispute in 1987. A conflict that had cost them miles and miles of oil-rich territory. 

Like the Persian Gulf War, oil has also played a critical factor in some of the most destabilizing periods of civil unrest in the last decades. Including: 

• Iran-Iraq war.
• Iraqi no-fly zone conflict.
• The conflict of the Niger Delta.
• Heglig Crisis in South Sudan.
• Russia —- War in Donbas and Invasion of Ukraine.
• The Chadian-Libyan conflict.
• Biafra conflict.
• The Venezuelan conflict.

A 2018 study even found that “a 1% increase in the value of oil reserves increases murder by 0.16%, robbery by 0.55%, and larceny by 0.18%.” The trend has even earned its nickname —- PETRO-AGGRESSION.

The Future of Oil and Alternative Fuels to Consider

Since the invention of the internal combustion engine, gasoline has been the primary fuel for cars. However, with the rise in electric vehicles on the market, people are now considering whether they should swap their gas-powered cars for electric ones. 

Will oil become obsolete,  Bobby Lee Koricanek? There are many factors to consider, including cost, range, and environmental impact. Oil is the proverbial genie; you can’t put it back in its bottle. It’s here to stay. Either as a fuel source or as a primary material for some products we can’t live without. Oil isn’t going anywhere, and the industry changes over time.