In old days of farming and country life coal oil & kerosene were imperative

[Ben Framed]

An interesting article explaining the difference of the two and how coal oil is again being researched and brought back to the scene.

In simple terms, the main difference between coal oil and kerosene oil is in their origins; coal oil is extracted from a type of soft, oily coal called cannel coal (or sometimes candle coal). ... Kerosene oil, on the other hand, is refined directly from liquid petroleum (crude oil).

Simply google and then click one the following phrase.
Are Coal Oil and Kerosene Oil the Same Thing? | Bumgarner Oil

[Michael Bush]

My grandpa called kerosene coal oil his whole life.  I never understood why until now.