Skip to content
Home Shows This Day In History
Cable Provider Drop Down Menu
  • Visit
  • Sign Out
Your Profile
  • Profile
  • Sign Out
Stream HISTORY

Modern Marvels

  • about
  • Episodes
  • bios

Modern Marvels

S 14 E 23

Secrets of Oil

Jul 31, 2008 | tv-pg

Rubber, Plastic, Nylon, Aerosols, Resins, Solvents, and Lubricants–none can exist without oil. If we stopped driving our cars tomorrow, America would still need five million barrels of oil a day. Visit Vulcan Materials, where oil tanks are emptied into massive double-barrel mixers to make asphalt and then continue to the Rolls Royce Aerospace Facility where complex jet fuels are blended. Travel back to the 1870’s to see how an unemployed whale oil salesman turned a greasy oil-drilling by-product into a household staple: Vaseline. Finally discover how cutting-edge recycling techniques can breathe new life into used motor oil, and where a number of renewable fuels and technologies take aim at oil sovereignty.

Get Instant Access to Free Updates

Don’t Miss Out on HISTORY news, behind the scenes content, and more.

Please enter a valid email address
By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States. More details:
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

Need help with the site?

A+E Global Media
  • HISTORY Education
  • HISTORY Vault®
  • HISTORY Apps
  • HISTORY2™
  • HISTORY en Español®
  • Military HISTORY®
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Share Your Opinions
  • FAQ / Contact Us
© 2025, A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • AETV homepage
  • mylifetime homepage
  • lmn homepage
  • fyi homepage
  • viceland homepage
  • biography homepage
  • crime and investigation homepage
  • lrw schedule page
  • HISTORY Education
  • HISTORY Vault®
  • HISTORY Apps
  • HISTORY2™
  • HISTORY en Español®
  • Military HISTORY®
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Share Your Opinions
  • FAQ / Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Employment Opportunities
  • A+E Factual Studios™
  • Accessibility Support
  • A+E Studios®
  • TV Parental Guidelines
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Cookie Notice
  • Ad Choices

WELCOME: You are logged in with an Unknown Provider and can now watch all available content.

Get the latest email updates from HISTORY!

Invalid Email

Invalid Zip Code

Choose your favorite shows:
No thanks
By submitting your information you agree to receive email updates from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. More details:
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

There was an error!

Please try again later.

Thank you for subscribing!

You will soon receive emails about your favorite HISTORY shows.

Create a Profile to Add this show to your list!

        Get Started
Already have a profile? Sign In