Analysis of Geological Pore Structure Based on Fractal Theory, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Oil and gas account for more than half of global energy consumption, making them essential resources for modern life. With increasing energy demand and declining production of conventional oil and gas, unconventional hydrocarbon resources have become critical to meet our energy needs. However, the efficient development of these resources is still challenged by some theoretical or technical issues, particularly in pore structure characterization.

Multiple methods are employed to characterize pore structure at the micro-to-nano scale, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), nitrogen adsorption (NA), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). However, certain factors complicate the high‑resolution characterization of pore spaces. For instance, shale oil within nanopores is challenging to remove due to low pore connectivity and strong adsorption onto nanopore surfaces, often resulting in significant underestimation of pore volume. Although multiple techniques are used, each operates on different theories and models, making accurate comparisons difficult.

Given these challenges, further research is essential for the efficient development of unconventional oil and gas resources. This Special Issue will focus on analysis of geological pore structure based on fractal theory in unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Efficiency of oil extraction
• Pore-crack observation in two dimensions
• Pore-crack reconstruction in three dimensions
• Pore connectivity and whole pore network
• Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
• Nitrogen adsorption (NA)
• Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP)
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
• Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS)
• Spontaneous imbibition

Dr. Wei Yang
Prof. Dr. Mianmo Meng
Guest Editors

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