With the first discovery of oil, Civilization obtained a powerful source of energy and raw materials which required processing before use. Raw oil consisted of many different hydrocarbon chains. Chains of different weights possessed radically different properties, as seen in the difference between asphalt and gasoline. To use any of the hydrocarbons, they had to be separated. Enter the Oil Refinery. Though the process was expensive and far from clean, the resulting gasoline was worth the cost.