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p-petroleum-msg - 2/27/05

 

Period use of petroleum.

 

NOTE: See also the files: lamps-msg, lighting-msg, Med-Lighting-lnks, firestarting-msg, candles-msg, pottery-wepns-msg, blackpowder-msg.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual authors.

 

Please respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. If  information is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                         Stefan at florilegium.org

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From: alchem at en.com (James Koch)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Petroleum For Lighting

Date: 26 Mar 2004 14:40:10 -0800

 

>> As to whether or not it is period for use in lamps is a matter of

>> debate. Petroleum was not pumped from the ground in period, but it was

>> gathered from natural pools in Asia.  I believe petroleum oil of this

>> type was a constituent of Greek Fire and has therefore been known since

>> classical times.

>>

>Isn't that a little like arguing that since 20th century people use

>diamonds for jewelery, a 30th c. recreationist can legitimately use it

>for the windshield of his authentic 20th century car? Greek fire was a

>high tech, long secret, military technology. There are certainly

>references in period sources to the existence of petroleum oil, but I

>don't know of any time and place in or period when it was common enough

>to be used as the normal fuel for lamps, and I am quite sure that in

>most times and places it was not.

>--

>David/Cariadoc

 

I guess I wasn't precise enough in my previous statement.  When I said

"period" I was using it in the restrictive SCA sense.  In other words

used prior to 1600 in Europe.  Hence the reference to "Greek" Fire.

It actually was period in the general sense that petroleum oil was

used in lamps prior to 1600. I have just now chanced on one of my

earlier references which has been lost to me since the early 80s when

I was collecting oil lamps.  It was in Marco Polo's Description Of The

World.  Unfortunately my copy is written entirely in Latin and I am

having trouble reading it after a quarter of a century of being away

from the language.  In any case Polo described passing through Baku on

the Caspian where distilled petroleum oil was the main fuel for

lighting.  True, this does not prove petroleum's use in lighting in

Europe at the time. More interesting though, the text which led me

back to Polo's work "A Century In Oil" by Stephen Howarth in chapter

one page 17 states "By the 10th century, Arab nations had worked out

that it could be distilled.  In Cairo, torches were lit with the

product, and it is said that in the late 11th century, the equivalent

of 1,400 barrels of petroleum distillate caught fire there, creating a

monstrous blaze." The significance of this later quote is that

petroleum was not found in Egypt.  This means it was collected,

distilled, packaged, and transported there.  So petroleum distillate

was actually more than a local fuel, it was a commercial commodity.

Now all I have to do is find a reference to its use in either Spain or

Sicily to prove it to be period in the more restrictive sense.

 

Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

 

From: alchem at en.com (James Koch)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

Date: 27 Mar 2004 13:19:56 -0800

 

> Fascinating. Is it clear how good Howarth's sources are? If you find

> more, I hope you will let us know.

 

Unfortunately the book does not cite original sources with the

exception of Marco Polo, and his work refers only to petroleum being

used locally at Baku. I have therefore e-mailed The Royal Historical

Society of which Stephen Howarth is a Fellow for contact information.

If this is not forthcoming, I'll write him at his address in

Nottinghamshire.

 

In the 11th century oil was generally transported by ship.  If it

wound up in Cairo it could just as easily have been sold in

Constantanople.  If I could find it being used in Europe, then

distilling oil from raw petroleum might make an interesting A&S

project.  The problem of course is boiling off all of the naptha prior

to distilling to prevent an explosion.

 

Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

 

Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 19:23:35 -0600

From: "David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx at netzero.net>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

 

James Koch wrote:

>>Fascinating. Is it clear how good Howarth's sources are? If you find

>>more, I hope you will let us know.

>

> Unfortunately the book does not cite original sources with the

> exception of Marco Polo, and his work refers only to petroleum being

> used locally at Baku.  I have therefore e-mailed The Royal Historical

> Society of which Stephen Howarth is a Fellow for contact information.

> If this is not forthcoming, I'll write him at his address in

> Nottinghamshire.

>

> In the 11th century oil was generally transported by ship.  If it

> wound up in Cairo it could just as easily have been sold in

> Constantanople. If I could find it being used in Europe, then

> distilling oil from raw petroleum might make an interesting A&S

> project.  The problem of course is boiling off all of the naptha prior

> to distilling to prevent an explosion.

>

> Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

Assuming you are trying to get lamp oil, you want the naphtha.

 

Light ends - methane, ethane, propane, butane, some isomers

 

2nd cut - pentane, hexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, low boiling

naphthas, etc.

 

3rd cut - medium boiling naphthas (kerosene, diesel)

 

4th cut - higher boiling naphthas (lamp oil, light machine oils)

 

5th cut - medium machine oils, bunker fuel

 

6th cut - greases

 

7th cut - tar

 

bottoms- coke, slag, etc.

 

David Gallowglass

 

 

From: alchem at en.com (James Koch)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

Date: 28 Mar 2004 17:04:05 -0800

 

> Assuming you are trying to get lamp oil, you want the naphtha.

>

> Light ends - methane, ethane, propane, butane, some isomers

>

> 2nd cut - pentane, hexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, low boiling

> naphthas, etc.

>

> 3rd cut - medium boiling naphthas (kerosene, diesel)

>

> 4th cut - higher boiling naphthas (lamp oil, light machine oils)

>

> 5th cut - medium machine oils, bunker fuel

>

> 6th cut - greases

>

> 7th cut - tar

>

> bottoms- coke, slag, etc.

>

> David Gallowglass

 

Those are basically modern fractions.  My guess is people making lamp

oil 1,000 years ago were probably primarily concerned with an oil

similar to the vegetable oils they were already used to burning in

their lamps.  They also probably didn't have the temperature control

of a modern distilling fractionating column.  My guess is their oil

would have been a mix of what would now be separated into the 3rd

through 5th cut.  If it was to be transported for any distance they

would likely have left out the more volatile fractions.  This would

apply to strapping amphora onto camels or loading them into a ships

hold.  Even the medium boiling napthas would have been risky to carry

in desert heat in earthenware containers.

 

Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

 

Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 20:22:08 -0600

From: "David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx at netzero.net>

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

 

James Koch wrote:

> Those are basically modern fractions.  My guess is people making lamp

> oil 1,000 years ago were probably primarily concerned with an oil

> similar to the vegetable oils they were already used to burning in

> their lamps.  They also probably didn't have the temperature control

> of a modern distilling fractionating column.  My guess is their oil

> would have been a mix of what would now be separated into the 3rd

> through 5th cut. If it was to be transported for any distance they

> would likely have left out the more volatile fractions.  This would

> apply to strapping amphora onto camels or loading them into a ships

> hold.  Even the medium boiling napthas would have been risky to carry

> in desert heat in earthenware containers.

>

> Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

Agreed.  I used modern fractions to permit terminology most are

familiar with.  Boiling points between 140 and 270 F seem reasonable.

If I were doing it, I would use steam distillation (a known process

for extracting essential oils from herbs), which would tighten the

range to roughly 120 to 220 F (2nd to 4th cuts, above), and reduce the

fire and explosion hazard.

 

Note that medium boiling naphthas are not much more dangerous to

transport than brandy or some vegetable oils.

 

 

Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 23:05:30 -0400

From: d.e.walter at computer.org (D. Edward Walter)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Keywords: Benzine Oil Naptha

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

 

All those years talking about fire to Pennsic campers...I had to find

documents to support the use of fire in period.  You fear what you do not

know, and respect what you do understand.

 

Petroleum products have been available and in use since the days of the

Nabateans.  The Persians had asphalt paved roads.  The Molotov Cocktail was

first used in the siege of Cairo.  "Mummy" is derived from petrol...

 

For those with the access to past editions of Aramco World magazine, Zayn

Bilkadi wrote three surveys on the topic that serve as a reasonable second

source (I have not looked for any further works by this author).

 

"Bulls from the sea", Aramco World, July-August, 1994

"The Oil Weapons", Aramco World, Jan-Feb 1995

"Land of the Naptha Fountain" Aramco World, Sep-Oct 1995

 

Everything a Welsh Magribi should know...

 

Mukhtar durr al-jabal

 

 

"David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx at netzero.net> wrote:

> James Koch wrote:

> >>Fascinating. Is it clear how good Howarth's sources are? If you find

> >>more, I hope you will let us know.

> >

> > Unfortunately the book does not cite original sources with the

> > exception of Marco Polo, and his work refers only to petroleum being

> > used locally at Baku.  I have therefore e-mailed The Royal Historical

> > Society of which Stephen Howarth is a Fellow for contact information.

> > If this is not forthcoming, I'll write him at his address in

> > Nottinghamshire.

> >

> > In the 11th century oil was generally transported by ship.  If it

> > wound up in Cairo it could just as easily have been sold in

> > Constantanople.  If I could find it being used in Europe, then

> > distilling oil from raw petroleum might make an interesting A&S

> > project.  The problem of course is boiling off all of the naptha prior

> > to distilling to prevent an explosion.

> >

> > Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

>

> Assuming you are trying to get lamp oil, you want the naphtha.

>

> Light ends - methane, ethane, propane, butane, some isomers

>

> 2nd cut - pentane, hexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, low boiling

> naphthas, etc.

>

> 3rd cut - medium boiling naphthas (kerosene, diesel)

>

> 4th cut - higher boiling naphthas (lamp oil, light machine oils)

>

> 5th cut - medium machine oils, bunker fuel

>

> 6th cut - greases

>

> 7th cut - tar

>

> bottoms- coke, slag, etc.

>

> David Gallowglass

 

 

From: alchem at en.com (James Koch)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

Date: 21 Apr 2004 10:39:09 -0700

 

I heard from Howarth. Unfortunately he directed me to a series of

early 20th century German articles entitled "Fifteen Centuries Of

Bitumen" which I have not yet been able to locate in any language.  So

the only original source I have located to date is in Marco Polo's

Description Of The World (Travels).  I did finally find the following

in his chapter describing Armenia Major.  This is near the very

beginning of the book despite the fact that Polo didn't pass through

Armenia until his return from China:

 

& in confinibus Jorgie quidam fons est de quo scaturit oleum in tanta

quantitate quod mile cameli simul & semel ibi posunt honerari &

honerantur set nichil in comestione ualet set bonum est ad ungendum

homines & quelibet animalia peopter scabiem.  & homines de

longi[n]quis partibus uenuunt pro oleo isto & omnes contracte

circumstantes non comburunt aliud oleum quam istud.

 

My English translation (not a very good transliteration) by Orion

Press gives:

 

To the North lies Zorzania, near the confines of which there is a

fountain of oil which discharges so great a quantity as to furnish

loading for many camels.  The use made of it is not for the purpose of

food, but as an unguent for the cure of cutaneous distempers in men

and cattle, as well as other complaints; and it is also good for

burning.  In the neighboring country no other is used in their lamps,

and people come from distant parts to procure it.

 

Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

 

From: alchem at en.com (James Koch)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Petroleum For Lighting

Date: 3 May 2004 20:49:53 -0700

 

While searching for the articles "Fifteen Centuries Of Bitumen" I

found a book by the same author entitled "Bitumen And Petroleum In

Antiquity" published only a year earlier.  I figured the articles must

be extracted from the book and began hunting for the latter.

Miraculously the Cleveland Public Library has an English translation

of the work in its collection.  I managed to peruse it this morning.

It's an excellent well researched work of archaeology with an

extensive bibliography of original sources.

 

To my total astonishment I actually found a medieval reference to

petroleum being skimmed from a spring in Sicily and sold as lamp oil.

It was written by an Arab, Dioscorides, in his work Materia Medica.

So I have a European description of petroleum for lighting being

gathered in Asia and an Arab's description of similar petroleum

gathering in Europe. Dioscorides states "Bitumen is found in its

liquid state near Acragantium in Sicily, it floats on the surface of

the springs and is used in lamps instead of (olive) oil.  Those who

call it Sicilian oil are mistaken, for it is an established fact that

it is a kind of liquid bitumen."  Of course this oil was undistilled

raw petroleum, so my guess is it was pretty smoky.  Perhaps it was

burned outdoors or in courtyards where soot wouldn't present too much

of a problem.  No doubt the medieval equivalent of a tiki torch.

 

I also found a reference to Petroleum being used to heat two huge

public baths at Constantanople.  It was burned in bowls in the

hypocaust instead of wood.  This was also raw petroleum.

 

Jim Koch (Gladius The Alchemist)

 

<the end>



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