1888 May 576/1 They [sc. explosives] are used in the petroleum industry to ‘shoot’ the wells, so as to remove the paraffine which prevents the flow of oil.
1948 6 Sept. 37/1 (advt.) Paraffin wax—a very useful by-product of the petroleum industry.
1992 29 Feb. 46/2 Mexico has opened parts of its petroleum industry—the number of basic petrochemicals forbidden to foreign ownership has been reduced.