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Advanced Drilling, Cementing, and Oil Recovery Technologies

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 3302

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
Interests: flow assurance; drilling fluid technology; oilfield chemicals; enhanced oil and gas recovery; geothermal energy; underground CO2 and H2 storage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue explores cutting-edge developments and innovations in the oil and gas industry, focusing on three critical areas, namely drilling, cementing, and oil recovery. As the global demand for hydrocarbons persists, there is an increasing need to enhance the efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability of oil and gas extraction processes. This Special Issue delves into advanced drilling technologies that improve the accuracy and speed of wellbore creation.

In parallel, this Issue emphasizes innovations in cementing formulations, which play a pivotal role in ensuring well integrity and zonal isolation. Novel materials, including nano-enhanced cements and environmentally friendly additives, are explored for their potential to improve the durability and performance of cementing operations under challenging conditions.

The third focus area is oil recovery technologies, particularly enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods that maximize hydrocarbon extraction from reservoirs. The Issue reviews advancements in chemical, thermal, and gas injection techniques, as well as the integration of digital technologies and data analytics in optimizing oil recovery processes.

By combining insights from these interrelated disciplines, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and research, offering valuable perspectives for industry professionals, researchers, and academics involved in the future of oil and gas exploration and production.

Dr. Adesina Fadairo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced drilling technologies
  • cementing formulations
  • oil recovery methods
  • wellbore stability
  • enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
  • drilling fluids
  • well cementing
  • formation evaluation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 4026 KiB  
Article
A New Application for Salted Water-Based Fluids with Palygorskite: Formulation Designing for Temporary Plug and Abandonment Operations of Petroleum Wells
by Ruth Luna do Nascimento Gonçalves, Anna Carolina Amorim Costa, Mário César de Siqueira Lima, Karine Castro Nóbrega, Waleska Rodrigues Pontes da Costa, Laura Rafaela Cavalcanti de Oliveira, Renalle Cristina Alves de Medeiros Nascimento, Michelli Barros, Tiago Almeida de Oliveira and Luciana Viana Amorim
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 2980; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15062980 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 471
Abstract
Palygorskite has shown satisfactory performance in salted water-based fluids, especially as a rheological agent. However, this type of formulation has been used in the petroleum industry only in well drilling operations. This study proposes the development of a salted water-based fluid with palygorskite, [...] Read more.
Palygorskite has shown satisfactory performance in salted water-based fluids, especially as a rheological agent. However, this type of formulation has been used in the petroleum industry only in well drilling operations. This study proposes the development of a salted water-based fluid with palygorskite, which presents an adequate performance as a liquid barrier element in temporary abandonment operations of wells. Based on a factorial design, seven fluid formulations were prepared with varying concentrations of palygorskite and PAC LV and were tested by measuring the HPHT filtrate volume, rheological properties, density, and pH. For comparison purposes, the results of the seven formulations were evaluated against a formulation without palygorskite and analyzed for their performance in abandonment operations. The results showed that the presence of palygorskite reduces filtrate volumes by at least 21%, thereby helping control the pressure exerted by the fluid column, which is the primary requirement for abandonment operations. Furthermore, the fluid that contained the highest amount of palygorskite and PAC LV (20 g and 8 g, respectively) showed the best results regarding filtrate control (11.2 mL) and solid sedimentation. Therefore, it is a very promising alternative for use as a well barrier element in the temporary abandonment of wells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Drilling, Cementing, and Oil Recovery Technologies)
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22 pages, 5067 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Adsorption Behavior of Zwitterionic Surfactants on Middle Bakken Minerals
by Tomiwa Isaac Oguntade, Adesina Samson Fadairo, Temitope Fred Ogunkunle, David Adebowale Oladepo and Luc Yvan Nkok
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15010036 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Zwitterionic surfactants are a promising option for application in harsh reservoir conditions due to their exceptional stability, compatibility, and interfacial activity. However, surfactant adsorption remains a significant concern. This study investigates the adsorption behavior of zwitterionic surfactants was studied on complex Middle Bakken [...] Read more.
Zwitterionic surfactants are a promising option for application in harsh reservoir conditions due to their exceptional stability, compatibility, and interfacial activity. However, surfactant adsorption remains a significant concern. This study investigates the adsorption behavior of zwitterionic surfactants was studied on complex Middle Bakken minerals under high-salinity (total dissolved solids (TDS) = 29 wt%) and high-temperature (90 °C) conditions using the spectrophotometric method. The adsorbents were prepared by grinding Bakken core plugs using a ball mill and sifting them through 40 μm mesh sieves to ensure uniform particle size distribution. The results showed that the Langmuir adsorption model accurately describes the adsorption isotherms of zwitterionic surfactants. The impact of salinity on the zwitterionic surfactants adsorption varied depending on the presence of acidic and/or basic groups in the surfactants. Using Bakken formation brine instead of brine solutions with 2% TDS resulted in a decrease in adsorption of approximately 1.06 ± 0.02 mg/g for CG3 and 0.3 ± 0.04 mg/g for both CD2 and ME1. This reduction was observed in betaine-type zwitterionic surfactants with −COO− functional groups that may gain protons, compared to their adsorption capacities in the 2% TDS brine (2.35 mg/g, 2.1 mg/g, and 1.89 mg/g, respectively). This study provides critical insights into the behavior of interfacial tension (IFT) between crude oil and surfactant solutions, which is vital for optimizing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. The findings underline the importance of surfactant concentration and adsorption characteristics, offering valuable guidelines for practical applications in petroleum reservoir management. Overall, zwitterionic surfactants exhibit higher adsorption on Bakken minerals regardless of the salinity condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Drilling, Cementing, and Oil Recovery Technologies)
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19 pages, 5408 KiB  
Article
Influence of Drilling Along Pilot Holes on Drilling Performance and Effective Rock Strength
by Abourawi Alwaar, Ibrahim Futhiez, Abdelsalam Abugharara, Yahui Zhang and Stephen Butt
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15010032 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 746
Abstract
This study investigates the intricate relationship between bit rock interactions and drilling parameters for multiple-diameter hole drilling scenarios. Two sets of experiments were conducted in the Drilling Technology Laboratory at Memorial University of Newfoundland (DTL-MUN) using a fully instrumented Large-scale laboratory Drilling Simulator [...] Read more.
This study investigates the intricate relationship between bit rock interactions and drilling parameters for multiple-diameter hole drilling scenarios. Two sets of experiments were conducted in the Drilling Technology Laboratory at Memorial University of Newfoundland (DTL-MUN) using a fully instrumented Large-scale laboratory Drilling Simulator (LDS). The study contained two critical stages. Pre-coring operations using various diameter coring bits were completed to ensure thorough analysis. Next, drilling using a 5-cutter Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) bit with a larger diameter than all pre-cored holes, at constant Weight on Bit (WOB) and Revolution per Minute (RPM), was performed. The type of rock used in the experiments is a high-strength gabbro formation. Results indicate that pre-cored holes exhibited higher Rates of Penetration (ROP) than un-pre-cored holes, reflecting improved drilling performance and higher torque due to reduced bit–rock interaction area. A distinct relationship was observed between bit–rock interactions, torque, ROP, Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE), and applied WOB in multi-diameter drilling. ROP decreased as the pilot hole diameter decreased due to increased bit–rock interaction. The recorded data of WOB and the torque responses showed a decrease in amplitude as the bit–rock interface area increased, suggesting a positive interaction between drilling efficiency and downhole conditions. The modified Maurer model found a correlation between increased pilot hole diameter and decreased effective rock strength. These results highlight the significance of conducting a thorough drilling parameter analysis and the need for additional study to clarify the underlying mechanisms influencing drilling performance in multi-diameter hole drilling scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Drilling, Cementing, and Oil Recovery Technologies)
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14 pages, 1879 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Machine Learning Applications for the Complex Near-Critical Phase Behavior Modelling of CO2–Hydrocarbon Systems
by Daulet Magzymov, Meruyert Makhatova, Zhasulan Dairov and Murat Syzdykov
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(23), 11140; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311140 - 29 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 697
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of machine learning models to accurately predict complex near-critical phase behavior in CO2–hydrocarbon systems, which are crucial for enhanced oil recovery and carbon storage applications. We compared the physical Peng–Robinson equation [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of machine learning models to accurately predict complex near-critical phase behavior in CO2–hydrocarbon systems, which are crucial for enhanced oil recovery and carbon storage applications. We compared the physical Peng–Robinson equation of state model to machine learning algorithms under varying temperatures, pressures, and composition, including challenging near-critical scenarios. We used a direct neural network model and two hybrid model approaches to capture physical behavior in comprehensive compositional space. While all the models showed great performance during training and validation, the Direct Model exhibited unphysical behavior in compositional space, such as fluctuations in equilibrium constants and tie-line crossing. Hybrid Model 1, integrating a single Rachford–Rice iteration for physical constraints, showed an improved consistency in phase predictions. Hybrid Model 2, utilizing logarithmic transformations to better handle nonlinearities in equilibrium constants, further enhanced the accuracy and provided smoother predictions, particularly in the near-critical region. Overall, the hybrid models demonstrated a superior ability to balance computational efficiency and physical accuracy, closely aligning with the reference of the Peng–Robinson equation of state. This study highlights the importance of incorporating physical constraints into machine learning models for reliable phase behavior predictions, especially under near-critical conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Drilling, Cementing, and Oil Recovery Technologies)
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