# [TECH] Petroleum Refining
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**Petroleum Refining** is the separation and conversion of crude oil into fuels (petrol, diesel, jet fuel), lubricants, and petrochemical feedstocks — the primary energy source of the 20th century.
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## Overview
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Edwin Drake's oil well (1859, Pennsylvania) launched the petroleum industry. Early refining produced kerosene for lighting. The ICE created enormous demand for petrol. Thermal cracking (Burton, 1913) and later catalytic cracking (Houdry, 1936) allowed refiners to maximise the yield of high-octane petrol. Petrochemicals (derived from refining) became the basis for plastics, synthetic fibres, rubber, and pharmaceuticals.
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## Key Actors
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- **Companies**: Standard Oil/ExxonMobil (1870), Royal Dutch Shell (1907), BP (1909), Chevron (1879), Saudi Aramco (1933)
- **Inventors**: Edwin Drake (1819–1880), William Burton (1865–1954), Eugène Houdry (1892–1962)
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## Key Patents
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- Burton, W. US Patent 1,049,667 (1913) — thermal cracking
- Houdry, E. US Patent 1,837,963 (1931) — catalytic cracking
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## Economic Value
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Global oil and gas industry revenue: **$5.0 trillion/year** (2022, IEA). Petrochemicals add a further $600B/year. The combined petroleum economy is the single largest industrial sector.
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## Notes
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IEA *World Energy Outlook* 2023. Petrochemical market: ICIS. The petroleum industry is facing structural decline due to electrification and climate change.
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# Parents
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* [TECH] Chemical Industry⏎