Oil - A Beginner's Guide - Vaclav Smil ![rw-book-cover|200x400](https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/media/reader/parsed_document_assets/277260579/0BnOr5sI0KvU2xjHRYYFWEkwYyatYSjMvaY6NYPDil8-cover-cover.jpg) ## Metadata - Author: **Vaclav Smil** - Full Title: Oil - A Beginner's Guide - Category: #books ## Highlights - The first breakthrough in producing lighter products from heavier feedstocks came in 1913 when William M. Burton patented thermal cracking of crude oil. Burton’s process relied on the combination of heat and high pressure to break heavier hydrocarbons into lighter fractions. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jp59q34f2y7abk93a97qw134))