It is a pleasure to be asked to write the foreword to this interesting
new book. When Professor Bedrikovetsky first accepted my invitation to
spend an extended sabbatical period in the Department of Mineral
Resources Engineering at Imperial College of Science, Technology and
Medicine, I hoped it would be a period of fruitful collaboration. This
book, a short course and a variety of technical papers are tangible
evidence of a successful stay in the UK. I am also pleased that
Professor Bedrikovetsky acted on my suggestion to publish this book with
Kluwer as part of the petroleum publications for which I am Series
Editor. The book derives much of its origin from the unpublished Doctor
of Science thesis which Professor Bedrikovetsky prepared in Russian
while at the Gubkin Institute. The original DSc contained a number of
discrete publications unified by an analytical mathematics approach to
fluid flow in petroleum reservoirs. During his sabbatical stay at
Imperial College, Professor Bedrikovetsky has refined and extended many
of the chapters and has discussed each one with internationally
recognised experts in the field. He received great encouragement and
editorial advice from Dr Gren Rowan, who pioneered analytical methods in
reservoir modelling at BP for many years.