Petroleum

Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. A widely believed myth is that the oil itself is flammable, however it is actually the gas that evaporates from the oil that is flammable. Petroleum exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earth's crust. Another name is naphtha, from Persian naft or nafátá (to flow). It consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, largely of the alkane series, but may vary much in appearance, composition, and purity. It is an important "primary energy" source (IEA Key World Energy Statistics). Petroleum is also the raw material for many chemical products, including solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics.

Books about the petroleum industry

• {{Book reference | Author=James Howard Kunstler | Title=The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century | Publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press | Year=2005 | ID=0871138883}}
• {{Book reference | Author= C.J. Campbell| Title=The Coming Oil Crisis | Publisher= | Year=2004 | ID=}}
• {{Book reference | Author= | Title=Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil | Publisher= | Year=2004 | ID=}}
• {{Book reference | Author=Amory B. Lovins | Title=Winning the Oil Endgame | Publisher=Rocky Mountain Institute | Year=2004 | ID=1881071103}}
• {{Book reference | Author= | Title=Hubbert's Peak : The Impending World Oil Shortage | Publisher= | Year=2003 | ID=}}
• {{Book reference | Author=Vaclav Smil | Title=Energy at the Crossroads : Global Perspectives and Uncertainties | Publisher=The MIT Press | Year=2003 | ID=0262194929}}
• {{Book reference | Author=Daniel Yergin | Title=The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power | Publisher=Simon & Schuster | Year=1991 | ID=0671502484}}
• {{Book reference | Author=Harold F. Williamson and Arnold R. Daum | Title=The American Petroleum Industry: Volume I, The Age of Illumination | Publisher=Northwestern University Press | Year=1959 | ID=}}
• {{Book reference | Author=Harold F. Williamson, Ralph L. Andreano, Arnold R. Daum, and Gilbert C. Klose | Title=The American Petroleum Industry: Volume II, The Age of Energy | Publisher=Northwestern University Press | Year=1963 | ID=}}