Geochemistry of oilfield waters

Gene Collins' book, "Geochemistry of Oilfield Waters", is a must-have for anyone involved in the study of oilfield brines or deep basin waters in general. Although published nearly 40 years ago, I am aware of no other book that so thoroughly treats the subject. Every aspect from the collection of the sample, to its analysis, to the interpretation of the results is covered in considerable detail. While the chapters on collection and analysis could benefit from updates, this does not detract from the value of the book. Collins provides a thorough review of various chemical classifications of oilfield waters and discusses how these classifications may be interpreted. The reader will only have to go elsewhere when it comes to a discussion of the isotopic composition of subsurface waters and how these may be interpreted. Compositions of oilfield waters of all geological ages are plotted in various ways for comparison, the only drawback being that the values are averaged. Still, the data are very informative and can give the reader a good feeling for the variation in chemical composition of deep basin brines. I've just about worn out my copy from years of frequent use. People often refer to certain key books as "the bible of..."----Gene Collins' book is certainly nothing less than the bible of oilfield water chemistry! (Stephen G. Franks, Ph.D., RockFluid Systems, Inc.)