Book excerpt: Supported by numerous illustrations and references, this book describes the chemistry and physics that occur during the refinery operations, and how the properties of petroleum can be translated into predictability in refinery scenarios. The chapters discuss such topics as: the composition of petroleum, petroleum analysis and evaluation; metals and heteroatoms in petroleum; asphaltenes and the structure of petroleum, thermal chemistry of petroleum constituents; heavy oil upgrading processes; hydrocracking reactions, catalysts, and processes; and instability and incompatibility of petroleum products.