Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources: Innovations in Occurrence, Exploration and Production
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H: Geo-Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2025 | Viewed by 452
Special Issue Editors
Interests: unconventional oil and gas development; gas hydrate; carbon dioxide capture and storage
Interests: petroleum engineering; carbon dioxide utilization and storage
Interests: drilling fluids; fracturing fluid; clay minerals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Guest Editors invite submissions for a Special Issue of Energies on “Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources: Innovations in Occurrence, Exploration and Production”.
Unconventional hydrocarbon resources, including shale gas, shale oil, coalbed methane, and natural gas hydrates, play an increasingly vital role in meeting global energy demands. Unlike conventional resources, these hydrocarbons are often trapped in low-permeability reservoirs, requiring advanced techniques for efficient production. Their complex geological occurrence, diverse reservoir properties, and unique fluid behaviors pose significant challenges for exploration and development. Continuous technological innovations are essential for reservoir characterization, geophysical and geochemical analysis, and enhanced recovery methods. Despite recent advances in horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and other production techniques, several key challenges remain. A deeper understanding of their occurrence mechanisms is crucial for resource assessment, exploration, and production. Additionally, improving recovery efficiency while minimizing environmental risks is a priority for sustainable development. The environmental impact of unconventional hydrocarbon production, such as water usage and greenhouse gas emissions, must be addressed. Overcoming these challenges requires integrated approaches, including real-time monitoring, data-driven optimization, and the development of cleaner extraction technologies. By fostering innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, we can enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of unconventional hydrocarbon resource development.
This Special Issue highlights recent advances and innovative approaches in the study and development of unconventional hydrocarbon resources. We welcome contributions related to geological assessment, petroleum engineering, and environmental aspects, with a focus on bridging scientific and technological gaps through interdisciplinary collaboration. We invite original research articles and reviews that integrate multidisciplinary approaches across the geosciences, petroleum engineering, and environmental sciences. Submissions focusing on novel methodologies and cross-scale modeling (from nano/microscale to reservoir scale) are particularly encouraged.
Dr. Yun Li
Prof. Dr. Hui Gao
Dr. Guanzheng Zhuang
Dr. Zhouhua Wang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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
- unconventional hydrocarbons
- shale oil
- shale gas
- natural gas hydrate
- reservoir characterization
- enhanced recovery
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