GOOD READING ON OIL

Texas Governor O.M. Roberts in 1880, after a committee appointed by him had reported no prospects of oil or mineral resources in the state: "Gentlemen, I accept you report and discharge the committee. But I want to say to you that every word in your report is a lie. I repeat it, a lie! Do you think God Almighty would create a great country like this and not provide a way of taking care of it? In the very nature of things your report is a lie!" This is one of many episodes related in the highly readable The Greatest Gamblers: The Epic of American Oil Exploration by Ruth S. Knowles, 2nd ed. (1979). 376 pp., hardb., $9.95 from Univ. of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Okla.

Modern Petroleum A basic primer for the industry is a good first introduction to the petroleum industry from exploration through refining and petrochemicals. 293 pp., hardb., $16 from Petroleum Publ. Co., Box 1260, Tulsa, OK 74101.