Oil 101

The complete guide to the oil industry, rewritten and made interactive. 26 chapters covering the chemistry of crude, exploration, refining, products, transport, storage and the markets that price all of it, from futures and options to the shale revolution, OPEC+ and the Strait of Hormuz.

Free for everyone. Every chapter, the appendices, the audiobook, the interactive charts, the AI assistant, the certificate and the 1st edition PDF. No payment, no paywall.

From Mesopotamian tar pits to the 2026 closing of the Strait of Hormuz: how oil became the fuel of the modern world, who has tried to control its price, and why the world still runs on it. Narrated by Morgan Downey.

Watch the film7 min

Who this is for

Anyone new to oil

Traders joining a commodity desk, journalists, MBA students, analysts, lawyers and policy staff. The book assumes a college education and no industry background, and defines every term the first time it is used.

People who learned the business before shale, before the US became an exporter, or before oil settled below zero. The chapters are short and structured so they can be read out of order.

Same voice and structure, updated throughout and extended with six chapters on the modern era. The original 1st edition PDF is included free.

Every chart is built from real data. Hover, click and drill down rather than reading a number off a printed page.

The forward curve, price history and settlement prices, updated daily.

Every chapter narrated in Morgan’s own voice, with continuous playback and a resume position.

An AI assistant grounded on the book, for questions the index cannot answer.

Mark chapters as read, take the quiz, and get a verifiable certificate for LinkedIn.

The original 2009 bestseller, included at no charge.