Petroleum is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon that has many useful properties in our modern life. The distillation of petroleum can create; Kerosene, Gasoline, Diesel, Oil, Solvents & More even being used in modern medicine. Oil is thought to have a long history even before the first oil derrick struck oil in Pennsylvania. Oil is naturally occurring to the surface in areas and has thought to have been used in ancient times by fire cults.