No Oil

Nietzsche

Banned
What if oil did not exist? How would this affect technological development?

What about coal?
This goes to ASB. Not because it isn't possible, it is, but because a change that occurs significantly before human life isn't covered inthe post or pre 1900 sections.
 
I assume you mean mineral oil?

Gunpowder weapon technology is likely to be delayed, with all manner of butterflies downtime.

Logically, without mineral oil there'd also be no natural gas? If so, coal (gasified, liquidised and solid) will be a much more important industiasl resource. You can do everything with coal that you can do with oil, it's just much less efficient and far more expensive. Energy, specifically internal combustion fuel, will be more expensive. Less individual transport, a more regionalised development, and a much earlier emphasis on a multifuel economy. As to where this happens - honestly, who knows.
 
Whe start with no Greek Fire -- ?Any super critical Battles where Greek Fire determined the outcome?

Whe move to 1854 - No Pennz Oil -- All the Oil companies advertise there Research,
?How much does this really count for innovations?

No Oil means no Kerosene Lamps. -Standard Oil Lights the World- No Rockefeller's - either in Business, Politics, or Charity.

No Kerosene lamps, The 1850~1920 Rural life is Darker at night, Poorer, Less Education,

No Oil means no Spindletop, Less development in Texas in the 1880's~1920's,
Less development in the south/Gulf coast oil states generally,

No Oil means less development and colonization in the Dutch East Indies during 1850~1940.
No Oil means poorer Mid East, less interest in the area after the Great War.
No Oil means less Russian Interest in the Stan's, 1880's~present.

No Oil means no Oil Turbines in the 1890's~1910's, Slower development of High speed ships [Warships and Liners]
Slower development of Turbines. [Powered Coal/Slurry possible but more expensive to develop.] means slower development of Jet Engines.

No Oil means more money spend developing Steam and Battery/Fuel Cells Power for Automobiles and Aircraft.
Ford has a lot more interest in Edison's battery.

Probably More Interest in Hydro power as no, Oil Fired Electric Generation Plants.

No Diesel/Electric Locomotives, Steam Power Locomotives last longer.
But Electrification of the Lines [overhead/3rd rail] is faster.
No Buses, Trolley Companies survive.
 
This goes to ASB. Not because it isn't possible, it is, but because a change that occurs significantly before human life isn't covered inthe post or pre 1900 sections.

I agree. This should be moved to ASB, it would require taphonomical and geological processes to run fundamentally different from OTL, hence it would require ASB intervention.
 
The only reason I'd argue this for ASB is because it would require several natural processes to simply not occur, which is more than a random chance POD (such as my horses or camels survive in the Americas :D) But an interesting proposition. Here's another one: there is oil--but none in the Persian Gulf, so we run out sooner.
 
What about the Arabic attacks on Constantinople? Or were those obvious Byzantine victories?

The naval battles seem to have been pretty decisively tipped by Sea Fire. The problem is that mineral oil products were a trade item much earlier, so butterflies all over the Middle East would make almost sure there would be no such battle.
 
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