Oil & Gas Pipelines in Nontechnical Language

This is definitely a must have for anyone who wants to know how oil reservoirs are discovered, processed, and sent into production. There's also a great opening chapter on the evolution of oil drilling, stating the very beginnings of the idea. One thing that struck me as odd as I read through the book was the fact that key words in the chapters weren't defined properly enough to give the reader a full understanding of its meaning. I simply didn't expect this in a book that declares itself 'in Nontechnical Language'. The quick example I can think of is in the first chapter when they introduce the notion "perforating the casing," I had two separate ideas about what this could mean. These downfalls are rare, so it's easy to ignore them and enjoy the book for what it really is: a great compilation of information about oil production.

I work on Wall Street and deal with several people who invest in the oil & gas industry. I purchased this book hoping it would give me a working knowledge of the industry. It did just that! It spelled out everything from how oil is formed to how they locate it to drilling, getting it out of the ground and processing. I was so impressed with the book I actually went to the publishers website to see what other industries they had books on. There is currently is a list of 4 people in my office who are going to borrow this book... its that good. A+

...good primer for non-industry stakeholders (e.g., bankers, private equity investors, lawyers, etc.)... ...author needs to tighten-up grammar/sentence structure and quit bashing lawyers, financiers, non-engineers, imho, since this is the target audience...

This is a concise, expert explanation of how oil and gas are discovered and extracted today. Petroscience is a complicated business, but this book peers into the art and science of the industry and provides laymen with a basic understanding of all the steps involved in finding hydrocarbons and in getting them to market. Highly recommended!

If a picture is worth a thousand words this book is more robust than advertised. The myriad of pictures, drawings, charts, and graphs bring the rather technical topic of oil and gas production to life. The book gives a valuable overview of the industry, and even though I am in a related industry (oil and gas pipelines) it provided me with new information in a conscise and easy to read format. My hat is off to the authors for a fine job.