This third edition continues to provides a comprehensive study of reservoir stimulation from an all-encompassing engineering standpoint but has been completely rewritten to reflect the changing technologies in the industry. It sets forth a rationalisation of stimulation using reservoir engineering concepts, and addresses such topics as formation characterisation, hydraulic fracturing, matrix acidizing and chemical treatment. Formation damage which refers to a loss in reservoir productivity is also comprehensively examined. This extensive reference work remains essential reading for petroleum industry professionals involved in the important activities of reservoir evaluation, development and management, who require invaluable skills in the application of the techniques described for the successful exploitation of oil and gas reservoirs. Contributors to this volume are among the most recognized authorities in their individual technologies.

MICHAEL J. ECONOMIDES is Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston. Until the summer of 1998, he was the Samuel R. Noble Professor of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A & M University and served as Chief Scientist of the Global Petroleum Research Institute (GPRI). Prior to joining the faculty at Texas A & M University, Professor Economides was the Director of the Institute of Drilling and Production at the Leoben Mining Institute in Austria (1989–1993). From 1984 to 1989, he worked in a variety of senior positions with the Schlumberger companies, including Europe Region Reservoir Engineering and Stimulation Manager and Senior Staff Engineer, North America. Publications include authoring or co-authoring of 7 textbooks and more than 150 journal papers and articles. Professor Economides is involved in a wide range of industrial consulting, including major retainers by national oil companies at the country level and by Fortune 500 companies. He is the founder and a major shareholder in OTEK (Australia), a petroleum service and consulting firm with offices in five Australian cities. In addition to his technical interests, he has written extensively in wide circulation media on a broad range of topics associated with energy and geopolitical issues. KENNETH G. NOLTE has held various senior technical and marketing positions with Schlumberger since 1986. From 1984 to 1986, he was with Nolte-Smith, Inc. (now NSI Technologies, Inc.). Prior to 1984, Dr. Nolte was a research associate with Amoco Production Company, where he worked for 16 years in the areas of offshore/arctic technology and hydraulic fracturing. Dr. Nolte holds a BS degree from the University of Illinois and received an MS and PhD from Brown University. He has authored numerous journal publications and has various patents relating to material behavior, drilling, offshore technology and fracturing. Dr. Nolte was 1986–1987 SPE Distinguished Lecturer and received the Lester C. Uren Award in 1992.