The petroleum engineer and the geophysicist will find this book a source of technical information that cannot be found elsewhere. Dr. Standing has surveyed the scattered literature of the past twenty years pertaining to the phase behavior of hydrocarbon systems found iu petroleum reservoirs. In this volume he has successfully shown the 'relationship between laboratory test data on the phase behavior of these gas-condensate systems and actual conditions in the reservoir.
There are eight chapters: (1) Introductory Phase Behavior and Fluid Flow Concepts; (2) Sampling Methods andApparatus; (3) Behavior of Gases; (4) Behavior of Liquids; (5) Vapor-Liquid Equilibria; (6) Gas Condensate Systems; (7) Dissolved Gas Systems; and (8) Material Balances. Each chapter is followed by an excellent summary of its principal points. The appendices contain a glossary of technical terms, a list of mathematical symbols, and a list of pertinent literature references.
Compactness is one of the most striking features of this book. The author covers the subject thoroughly in 108 pages without omitting any important points from his discussion. He achieves this compactness by (a) using an outline form throughout the book, (b) presenting many data in summary graphs and tables, and (c) suppressing details of experimental techniques and instruments that are already familiar to the audience to which the book is directed. This is an extremely valuable book to the field engineer since it provides the means of using laboratory data to predict the behavior of hydrocarbons in the petroleum reservoir. It also provides calculation charts from which the engineer can estimate fluid properties and material balances from his own field measurements. The various well-sampling techniques are critically evaluated, and guidance is offered as to which applies ~)est to a given set of reservoir conditions. From this partial list of contents, it is obvious that no petroleum engineer, whether in the laboratory or the field, can afford to be without Dr. Standing's excellent book.
D. H. RUSSELL