1872 The Petroleum Producers Association endorses the 42-gallon [159 L] barrel as the shipping standard, one of the first “consensus standards” in the petroleum industry. One of the problems in the petroleum shipping industry had been the standard volume of a barrel of oil. In 1866, an Oil City newspaper had published the following: “The oil producers have issued the following circular: ‘Whereas, It is conceded by all producers of crude petroleum on Oil Creek that the present system of selling crude oil by the barrel, without regard to the size, is injurious to the oil trade, alike to the buyer and seller, as buyers, with an ordinary sized barrel cannot compete with those with large ones. We, therefore, mutually agree and bind ourselves that from this date we will sell no crude by the barrel or package, but by the gallon only. An allowance of two gallons will be made on the gauge of each and every 40 gallons in favor of the buyer.’” M.C. Egbert, an oilman in Oil Creek Valley, headed a group of about 30 oil producers who created and endorsed this proclamation.

Deffinately a petrol based lubricant in 1872, although in the late 1700’s animal grease was more popular on early steam engines!