By Morgan Downey · Wooden Table Press · 2nd Edition

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.

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.

Industry hands who want a reset

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.

Readers of the 2009 edition

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

Not just a book

Interactive charts

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

Live market data

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

Audiobook

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

Ask Oil 101

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

Certificate of completion

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

The 1st edition PDF

The original 2009 bestseller, included at no charge.