Oil and natural gas are in the headlines almost every day and even if they are not the news stories we read about, from the economy to inflation are related to the price of oil. It is important that all of us educate ourselves on this vital industry.

For laymen there are a number of well written books that describe the steps in drilling an oil or gas well.

Look For Well Illustrated Books About Oil and Gas Drilling

A picture says a thousand words, so the saying goes. Books about highly complex subjects such as oil well drilling require ample illustrations to show how the various processes occur. Look for books that have ample color illustrations and show the various parts of a rig with corresponding labels.

A good glossary is also important. Both of the books mentioned below include detailed definitions of drilling terms and equipment names.

If you own property in an are where drilling is about to occur or are thinking about choosing a career in oil and gas the book "A Primer Of Oilwell Drilling" is an invaluable resource.

In this book author Ron Baker takes you through every single step of drilling a well, from start to finish and describes exactly how every piece of equipment on a modern drilling rig works, from the tongs to the crown.

Slightly more detailed and broader in scope is the book "A Nontechnical Guide To Petroleum Geology, Exploration, and Production".

This book was written more for use as a freshmen level introduction to the industry but is easily read by the layman.

It encompasses all aspects of the oil and gas industry, from the geophysics of oil and gas seismic searching to the final process of refining crude oil in to gasoline.

It is well written and contains a lot of good illustrations. The only negative comment I have is that it is somewhat lacking of details about new horizontal drilling techniques that are a major part of oil and gas exploration.

That small omission aside I recommend the book to anyone wishing to learn about the oil and gas industry.

Read together these two books will get you off to a good start.