Fossil hydrocarbons form a continuous series whoseheavymembers--heavy oils, bitumens, oil shale kerogens, and coal--are important sources of conventional lighter fuels. These hydrocarbons are much more abundant and easier to extract than natural gas and oil. This book discusses the origins and compositions of fossil hydrocarbons and shows how theheaviescan be chemically transformed into environmentally clean gas, liquid transportation fuels, and an almost unlimited range of petrochemicals.Dr. Berkowitz explodes the entrenched dichotomy betweenpetroleum hydrocarbonsand coal that has shaped popular perceptions of energy, showing that it is feasible to develop new technologies that capitalize on the availability ofsyntheticnatural gas and light oils.Fossil Hydrocarbons: Chemistry and Technology is a comprehensive treatment of fossil hydrocarbons, covering the source materials, biosources, metamorphic histories, geochemistry, classification, and molecular structure. It discusses the use of fossil hydrocarbons as a viable energy source in our future, detailing the preparation, processing and conversion technologies, as well as discussing the environmental issues that arise from production, processing, and use of various fossil hydrocarbons.