石油产业

石油产业，是勘探、开采、提炼、运输和销售石油产品的产业。以体积计，石油产业的最主要产品是重油和汽油。石油也是许多化工产品的原料。石油产业可再分为上游、中游和下游。

全球每年消耗约300亿桶（约4.8立方公里）石油，大部分由已发展国家消耗。美国是消耗石油最多的国家，在2007年消耗了该年全球生产石油的四分之一。^[1]

现代历史

俄罗斯在1825年生产3,500吨石油，到该世纪中叶产量已翻倍。^[2]

加拿大的第一个商业性油井于1858年开始营运。^[3]美国的首次现代石油钻探于1850年代在今西弗吉尼亚州和宾夕法尼亚州开始。到1925年，美国已超越俄罗斯成为全球最大产油国。到1920年代，多个国家已经建立了油田，包括加拿大、波兰、瑞典、乌克兰、美国、秘鲁和委内瑞拉。^[4]

二次大战后，中东国家的石油产量超越美国。与此同时，深水钻采和钻井船的技术也发展起来。

[1]
"The World Factbook". Country Comparison - Oil Consumption. Found at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2174rank.html （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）
[2]
N.Y. Krylov, A.A. Bokserman, E.R.Stavrovsky. The Oil Industry of the Former Soviet Union. CRC Press, 1998. P. 187.
[3]
Black Gold: Canada's Oil Heritage. The Corporation of the County of Lambton. [30 July 2013]. （原始内容存档于2013年7月29日）. The North American oil industry began in Oil Springs in 1858 in less spectacular fashion. James Miller Williams, a coachmaker from Hamilton, dug into the tar-like gum beds of Enniskillen Township to find their source. At a depth of fourteen feet, he struck oil. Williams immediately built a small refinery and began to produce illuminating oil for lamps - kerosene. It was Williams who was able to take full advantage of the ancient resource. Not only was he astute enough to look below the surface of the gum beds to find oil and to realize its commercial potential, but the timing of his discovery was perfect.
[4]
Vassiliou, Marius (2009). Historical Dictionary of the Petroleum Industry. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press (Rowman and Littlefield), 700 pp.