The Chinese were able to dig out oil from below the ground 2000 years ago. But the first modern oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania, USA in 1859. The Pioneer driller was Edwin L. Drake, who bored through 21 meters of rock to strike oil. This was 30 years before the development of the petrol-engine car. The drillers then were mainly interested in extracting kerosene, which was burned in oil lamps.
