Why was whale oil used instead of petroleum?

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The first patent for refining crude oil was filed in 1850
The first oil refinery was built in 1856
The first commercial oil well was built in 1858

So the technological advancements seem to relate to (1) making something generally useful from oil, and (2) being able to extract oil in a large enough scale to create a large market for it.

One could imagine that people living near tar pits realized that oil would burn. But unrefined petroleum won't burn cleanly—as cleanly as whale oil, for instance. So until petroleum could be distilled, it wasn't a very good product for lighting.

adam.baker 2276

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Source: stackoverflow.com

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