Meteoric wootz

[ThomasPowers]

Correct, thanks for the correction, Spindletop was a gusher that jumpstarted using oil for other things than medicine and lighting. (Kerosene was a massive benefit as the number of whales had plummetted from over hunting and whale oil was the predominent method of lighting way back when.)

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

One has to wonder, where did the Assyrians get the base petroleum for their "Greek Fire" in the 9th century BC. 

[ThomasPowers]

Seeps; there are quite a few of them around the world---Like the La Brea Tar Pits in California and the famous Pitch Lake of Trinidad. Most of the early drilling sites in the USA were chosen from evidence of oil at the surface.

[JHCC]

While the Assyrians did use combustible weapons in the 9th century BC, Greek Fire as such was an invention of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire in the 7th century AD.

Most premodern incendiary weapons used sulfur, pitch, unrefined petroleum (including naturally occurring naphtha), and/or asphaltum, either individually or in combination with each other and with other ingredients. The Dead Sea in particular was known for its asphaltum deposits, of which many would form underwater and float to the surface. Asphaltum was big business in the ancient world, as it could be melted and used to seal the hulls of all manner of watercraft, especially early reed boats.

[SLAG]

Gentlemen,

The first process for extracting kerosene, primarily from coal was invented by Mr. Abraham Gesner. He was a doctor and geologist that worked primarily in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada

He first disclosed his process, in Prince Edward Island, in 1846, and patented it a series of three U.S. patents issued eight years later in 1854. (#11203, ...4, and ...5)

The process was essentially a destructive distillation of coal and also other hydrocarbons. (e.g. shale oil, and crude oil, etc.).

He coined the name kerosene.

It was brighter and cleaner than whale oil and coal oil flames. (by this time whale oil production was dropping off due to over exploitation).

Sadly, he did not make much money from his revolutionary invention.

As an aside; my ex and I visited his grave site in the middle of Halifax Nova Scotia while I was studying at Dalhousie Law School.

SLAG.

[pnut]

I do love when the conversation goes off on an interesting tangent. I find both subjects extremely interesting. Wasn't a meteoric Iron dagger found in an Egyptian tomb? I seem to remember seeing a picture of it somewhere.

Pnut

[JHCC]

Yes, in the tomb of Tutankhamen; you can google it quite easily.

10 hours ago, SLAG said:

The first process for extracting kerosene, primarily from coal was invented by Mr. Abraham Gesner.

The first process in the West, that is. Kerosene was first distilled from petroleum in 1745 by Fyodor Pryadunov (1694-1753) in Komi, northern Russia. While this was not commercially successful, Russian mining engineer Nikolay Voskoboynikov designed a refining process in 1834, and the first commercial kerosene refinery was built in Baku in 1837.

[ThomasPowers]

King Tutankhamun's tomb also had a miniature set of tools made from meteoritic iron in it.

"First" is always a slippery concept.  We usually ascribe crucible steel to Huntsman although they were making it in Merv 1000 years earlier.  And then there is that whole Bessemer/Kelly thing...

[JHCC]

“First known” is a useful descriptor. 

[Frosty]

Tar has been seeping along the west coast for who knows how long, I remember stepping on them and having to scrape it off. Baby oil will dissolve tar if you ever encounter the . . . stuff. 

From California history back when I recall there were Indian tribes that collected and traded tar and crude along the coast. The translation of the tribe names was a version of, "Black hand" and "Sticky Fingers."  Trade in asphalt was a big thing in early La Brea, California, well before the Spanish. It was often used as cement.

Just as an, I missed punzapaloosa Friday, funny note. "La Brea" is Spanish for "The Tar" Soooooo, when you say "The La Brea Tar Pits," You're actually saying, in American English is, "The The Tar Tar Pits."

Lots of Smilodon, "Sabre Tooth cat," enjoyed(?) a last meal of Mastodon tar tar. It's a real stick to your ribs dish you know.

Frosty The Lucky.