Oil 101

I purchased this book strictly with the intention of learning more about the trading side of the business but was very pleasantly surprised to find that it started from the very bottom of the ladder and revealed practically every essential detail of the industry. Being specifically employed in the gas industry I was skeptical at first of the value I stood to gain from reading this. But once I sank into even the first chapter I realized that a lot of gas industry practices and jargon were actually spinoffs or directly borrowed from the oil industry. The book spares no detail and takes nothing for granted as being already known or understood unless it was previously stated between its covers. It can thus be understood from the simplest level go up. Im just about halfway through but will certainly update my review once completed. I look forward to an updated version that perhaps expands some more on the world's oil balance given recent large discoveries in Brazil and Africa (East and West). Im not sure if the topic can be rightly squeezed into the same volume but a "Gas 101" might be a likewise appreciated accompaniment to this handy piece of work.I have two criticisms to give neither of which managed to diminish my inclination toward a five-star review. I guess my appreciation for the content over-rode both my cautions. Firstly, the shipping time was way too long. The book is a fast moving stock item and should at least be stocked to reduce shipout time. Secondly, the language, though simple to read at any level, is sufficiently poor in places to totally derail the flow and require you to read the same sentence twice or more. You will ultimately get the idea the author is trying to convey so I dont see this as being worth an entire star in the final rating. "Oil 101" is definitely a worthy investment rather than an expense and will aptly prime newcomers to the industry in just as much time as it takes them to read it.

I'm a young engineering graduate looking to get into the oil and gas industry. I bought this book as it was highly recommended as an introductory text to the petroleum industry, and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. I knew very little about the industry before this book, and wanted something easy to read that gave me a broad understanding of everything oil and gas. This book was exactly this. Interesting, easy to understand, with enough detail to provide understanding without getting so specific as to bore you.This book reads very much like a textbook, in that its almost completely fact driven, with little personal opinion expressed. Downey covers a broad range of topics, and includes things like prevailing opinions, opposing views, issues, new alternatives, and pros/cons. But this book is also rather "un-textbooklike" in that it won't put you to sleep. While many authors can ramble on, with much of the text providing little value, Downey succinctly states facts and moves on to new topics before you get bored.In conclusion, this textbook is a fantastic introduction to the oil and gas industry, and upon completing it you will undoubtedly have a much better understanding of everything to do with the petroleum industry. No book can contain all information, but I see that as a strength for "Oil 101". It can provide direction for areas of the industry where you show particular interest, in which case you can look into other resources to further your understanding. This text also works as a great reference text, as the book is very well organized (like a university textbook), with a detailed index.Fantastic job, Mr. Downey.

This is THE book for understanding oil and oil markets. It will tell you more about oil than you ever really wanted to know.I will warn you though that this is not a "casual" look at the oil industry. This is a "deep dive".The book explains everything from the molecules that make up oil and their chemistry to how the chemistry affects the refining process to the geology and how it affects the search for oil to oil contracts and the markets where oil is traded. Having a strong background in science will help in reading this book tremendously. I have that background, so I found it very easy to read. For people without that background, I think it's still readable although highly technical. You can probably skip some of the more technical chapters, but I would recommend diving into them and just seeing how much of it you understand. You'll get more out of it if you understand the science, but I think even someone who doesn't understand the science would probably learn quite a bit from the more technical chapters.As technical as this book is, it's written in a very readable and informal style. It's not hard to read at all; it just gets into some pretty deep science, and the subject itself is pretty technical. And it covers just about everything there is to know in the oil industry.I recommend this book to people all the time. This is THE book if you want to know about the oil industry and you aren't a petroleum engineer yet.