第1页共16页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第1页共16页Lesson1HowItAllBeganOil.Petroleum.Blackgold.Formedunderthesurfaceoftheearthmillionsofyearsago,manhaslongbeenawareoftheexistenceofoil.Yet,ithasonlybeeninthelasthundredyearsorsothatmanhasfullyrealizeditsvalueandusefulness.Inhardlymorethanacentury,ourmodernsocietyhasbecometotallydependentuponthemenandwomenanddreamsandrealitiesofthepetroleumindustry.Todaywedependuponpetroleumproductsnotonlyfortransportation,heating,andgeneratingelectricity,butalsoforfertilizersandfabrics,plasticsandpantyhose.munitionsandmedicines,paintsandpesticides,andthousandsofotheritemswetakeforgrantedeveryday.Otherfuels,suchascoalanduranium,wouldnotbeavailablewithoutthedieselfuelandpetroleum-basedexplosivesrequiredtomine,transport,andprocessthem,orthebillionsofcubicfeetofnaturalgasnecessarytomanufacturethePortlandcementneededtobuildthegeneratingstationstheyfuel.Inshort,asthepastdecadehaspainfullytaughtus,theworld’seconomyisbasednotongoldorpoliticalphilosophies,butratheronthepriceofabarrelofcrude.Manfirstbecameacquaintedwithpetroleumthroughnatural“seeps,”orspotsontheearth’ssurfacewhereshallowdepositsofcrudeoil—andoftennaturalgas—oozedupwardsintopits,creeks,andmarshes,oralongbeachesandbays.Petroleum,asthe“rockoil”,wascalledbytheancients,isreferredtonotonlyintheBible,butalsoinman’searliestrecordedhistory.OilseepsandbitumenpitsfurnishedthepitchandasphaltusedinthemortarthatbuilttheTowerofBabel,thewallsofNinevah,andSolomon’stemple.Itwasfrom“slimepits”neartheDeadSea,thattheEgyptiansobtainedthebitumentheyusedtoembalmtheirdead.In3000B.C.theSumerianswereusingoil-burninglamps,apracticeadoptedinGreecearound250B.C.IntheEast,sometimeafter100B.C.,theChinesewerediggingwellshundredsoffeetdeeptoobtainsaltwaterfromwhichtheyextractedthesodiumchloridetoseasonandpreservetheirfood.Occasionallythesewellsalsoproducednaturalgas,whichtheChineselearnedtousenotonlyforheatingandcooking,butalsotopipethroughbambootubesand第2页共16页第1页共16页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第2页共16页burntoheatthewellwatertohastenitsevaporation.By615A.D.,theJapanesewerediggingwellsnearly1,000ftdeepinattemptstoobtain“burningwater,”apracticewhichwasalsooccurringinBurmaandIndiaataboutthesametime.And,alongthebanksoftheCaspianSea,menwerediggingshallowwellsbyhandtoobtainoiltolighttheirlamps.Asmanfoundmoreandmoreofthisstrangesubstance,heslowlybegantolearnthatitcouldbeusedinmanyways.In671A.D.,KallinikosofByzantiuminventedaprimitivemissilewhichhecalledGreekFire.whichcarriedanincendiarypayloadcomposedofpetroleum,sulfur.resin,androcksalt,whichtheGreeksusedagainsttheirenemies,theArabs,duringthesiegeofConstantinople.TheGreeksalsousedpetroleuminwaratsea,pouringitonthewaterandignitingit,afearsomeweaponagainstwoodenships.Evenearlier,thelegionnairesofancientRomewonabattlebysettingoil-soakedpigsaflameanddrivingthemintotheranksoftheapproachingenemy.Gradually,theuseofpetroleumbegantospreadacrosspartsofAsiaandEurope.But,inorderforanynewindustrytocomeabout,threefactorsmustbepresent:awidelydemonstratedneedfortheproductprovided,areliableandeconomicalsourceofsupply,andanestablishedmarketpricethatwouldguaranteeareturnoninvestmentsufficienttoovercometherisksinherentinanynewventure.Thus,thetimewasnotyetrightforthebirthoftheworldwidepetroleumindustry,andit...
