What oil resource did we exploit before before we began harvesting underground liquid hydrocarbons?

And, what happened to that particular resource base to which I refer?What oil resource did we exploit before before we began harvesting underground liquid hydrocarbons?
That would be whale oil, and to this day in certain countries whales are still being used for oil.


Fortunately for the whales most countries use fossil fuels and oils.What oil resource did we exploit before before we began harvesting underground liquid hydrocarbons?
We used coal. And we still do but not to as much extent as before oil became plentiful.
Whales


They learned to hide.
whale oil
we didn't EXPLOIT any.





Do we exploit wheat by making bread?
They burned cow chips, didn't they?

Birds