New Technologies and Methods for Shale Oil Exploration and Evaluation
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Earth Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 120
Special Issue Editors
Interests: shale oil exploration and evaluation; fine-grained sedimentary rocks; reservoir characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: efficient exploration and in-situ conversion technologies for shale oil resources; deep drilling technology and equipment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: natural fractures formation and distribution; Reservoir geomechanics; tectono-fluid interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Shale oil reservoirs are characterized by strong source–reservoir coupling, pronounced lithofacies control on oil occurrence, and extreme heterogeneity in effective pore systems, movable oil distribution, and fracture–lamina architectures. Unlike conventional reservoirs or shale gas systems, shale oil exploration and evaluation are challenged not only by generally low porosity and permeability, but also by complex sedimentary architectures, multi-stage diagenetic modification, and highly variable reservoir quality and engineering responses among different lithofacies units. As a result, traditional evaluation approaches based on single parameters or empirical relationships often prove inadequate, underscoring the urgent need for integrated technologies and innovative evaluation methodologies.
This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in shale oil exploration and evaluation, emphasizing emerging technologies, novel analytical methods, and integrated workflows. We welcome contributions on high-resolution sedimentological and stratigraphic analysis, advanced geochemical proxies, multi-scale reservoir characterization, petrophysical and pore-structure evaluation, as well as data-driven approaches such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Studies employing seismic attributes, well-log interpretation, digital rock physics, and numerical modeling for resource assessment and sweet-spot prediction are also encouraged.
In addition, this Special Issue highlights the effective linkage between exploration results and development-oriented evaluation. In particular, we seek research addressing lithofacies-controlled reservoir quality, fracability assessment, drilling and completion optimization, hydraulic fracturing performance evaluation, and production response analysis. By integrating geological, engineering, and computational approaches, this Special Issue aims to improve the understanding of shale oil accumulation mechanisms and spatial heterogeneity, providing robust technical support for fine-scale exploration and efficient development.
Dr. Juye Shi
Dr. Shaotao Xu
Dr. Guoping Liu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- shale oil
- sweet spot prediction
- new exploration technologies
- reservoir heterogeneity
- fine-grained sedimentary rocks
- integrated evaluation
- lacustrine basins
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