Because of its massive size , it brought security and stability to the oil business, guaranteeing continuous profits. With Standard Oil, John D. Rockefeller became the richest person in the World . Helped keep machines in good conditions with lubricants . The petroleum industry, like other chemical industries, has a plethora of terms designed to scare off anyone who wants to understand exactly what is going on. Mastering this nomenclature is one of the main tasks facing chemistry and chemical engineering students .
Hydrocarbons are chemical compounds made mainly of carbon and hydrogen .
Both petroleum and coal contain many different hydrocarbons. Methane, ethanol, and benzene are examples of hydrocarbons, though there are many many others. Bitumen is a another term for hydrocarbons . Both petroleum and coal are sometimes referred to as Bituminous. Hydrocarbons are commonly referred to as organic compounds, and it is fair to think of the two as equivalent.