Planet Oil series sees Professor Iain Stewart get downright dirty and dangerous

BBC Scotland’s major new series Planet Oil could hardly be more timely.

The three-part series was filmed across the globe and is presented by Scots geologist, Professor Iain Stewart, well known from the likes of Volcano Live.

It goes right back to the earliest days of the industry in America in the mid-19th Century.

“It was real frontier stuff, very dirty and dangerous,” said Iain.

“People really didn’t know what they were doing. They were putting holes down anywhere and then trying to get what they found to market as fast as they could.

“Oil towns sprung up and died. Census information shows one town, called Pitbull, didn’t exist in 1860, was a boom town in 1865 but had gone bust and vanished by 1870.

“It was all very hit-and-miss and there were some incredible trials and tribulations.”

The fledgling industry primarily produced kerosene for lighting houses and was almost killed off by the invention of electricity.

The arrival of the motor car changed everything with its use of gasoline, a by-product of kerosene production.

“Oil is now absolutely central to how we live our lives,” said Iain.

“It’s not just filling up our cars, it’s plastics, clothes, everything.”

The series chronicles the boom and bust of the oil industry over the past 150 years.

And while the current big drop in prices and job fears may have been seen before, Iain reckons climate change issues may just make this a little bit different.

“There is definitely still oil out there,” he adds.

“But the places it’s to be found and the cost of getting it means there are big questions to be asked.”

Planet Oil BBC2 Scotland Tuesday 9pm.