Fascinating facts about petroleum

Did you know that the word ‘petroleum’ comes from two separate Latin words. ‘Petra’ meaning stone or rock and ‘oleum’ meaning oil? Here are some more facts about this extremely useful substance that you might not know:

• The very first mention of the word ‘petroleum’ occurred in 1556 and was used by a German mineralogist.
• Petroleum has been in use since ancient times. One of the earliest known civilizations, the Sumerians, discovered the substance on the banks of the River Euphrates and made use of it for important jobs like forming roads and waterproofing their homes.

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• The Ancient Egyptians used a liquid form of petroleum as a treatment for wounds, for medicinal purposes and as a laxative!
• At the turn of the 21st century, 100 million barrels of crude oil were being produced every day for worldwide consumer use. For details on how to save money on your business fuel consumption, consider Fuel Cards and click here
• Just under half of all oil reserves are found in the Middle East but the amount produced there is just 30% of the global production.
• The US produces around 16% of the world’s oil.
• Petroleum is formed from the remains of animals and plants that were on earth even before the time of the dinosaurs.

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• Many things can be made from petroleum, such as jet fuel, diesel, wax, lubricants and the petrochemical products required to make plastics and different chemicals.
• Petroleum is also used to create a wide range of everyday household items including crayons, spectacles, dishwashing liquid and deodorants!