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Polymers
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Polymers in Petroleum Engineering: Enhancing Performance and Sustainability
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Polymers in Petroleum Engineering: Enhancing Performance and Sustainability

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1457

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Meichun Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: drilling fluid; polymer; rheology; nanomaterials; wellbore stability
Dr. Bo Liao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Petroleum Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: drilling fluid; nanomaterials; polymeric agent; wellbore stability; molecular simulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers play a crucial role in advancing petroleum engineering by improving drilling fluid performance, enhancing oil recovery, and enabling environmentally sustainable operations. This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest research on polymer-based innovations that optimize oilfield applications while addressing challenges such as high-temperature stability, salt tolerance, and eco-friendly formulations.

We welcome contributions covering a broad spectrum of topics, including but not limited to the following:

  • Polymer-modified drilling fluids for enhanced rheology and filtration control;
  • Polymer-based fracturing fluids for improved proppant transport;
  • Polymer-based plugging agents for wellbore stability and lost circulation control;
  • Smart polymeric materials for enhanced oil recovery (EOR);
  • Biopolymer-based solutions for sustainable petroleum operations;
  • Advanced polymer coatings for corrosion and scale prevention;
  • Deep learning and artificial intelligence in polymer design and performance prediction.

Prof. Dr. Meichun Li
Dr. Bo Liao
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. Polymers 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 2700 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

  • polymer
  • drilling fluid
  • fracturing fluid
  • EOR
  • polymer coating
  • artificial intelligence

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4097 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Graphene Oxide-Based Self-Healing Gel for Lost Circulation Control
by Wenzhe Li, Pingya Luo and Xudong Wang
Polymers 2025, 17(15), 1999; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17151999 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 354
Abstract
Lost circulation is a major challenge in oil and gas drilling operations, severely restricting drilling efficiency and compromising operational safety. Conventional bridging and plugging materials rely on precise particle-to-fracture size matching, resulting in low success rates. Self-healing gels penetrate loss zones as discrete [...] Read more.
Lost circulation is a major challenge in oil and gas drilling operations, severely restricting drilling efficiency and compromising operational safety. Conventional bridging and plugging materials rely on precise particle-to-fracture size matching, resulting in low success rates. Self-healing gels penetrate loss zones as discrete particles that progressively swell, accumulate, and self-repair in integrated gel masses to effectively seal fracture networks. Self-healing gels effectively overcome the shortcomings of traditional bridging agents including poor adaptability to fractures, uncontrollable gel formation of conventional downhole crosslinking gels, and the low strength of conventional pre-crosslinked gels. This work employs stearyl methacrylate (SMA) as a hydrophobic monomer, acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA) as hydrophilic monomers, and graphene oxide (GO) as an inorganic dopant to develop a GO-based self-healing organic–inorganic hybrid plugging material (SG gel). The results demonstrate that the incorporation of GO significantly enhances the material’s mechanical and rheological properties, with the SG-1.5 gel exhibiting a rheological strength of 3750 Pa and a tensile fracture stress of 27.1 kPa. GO enhances the crosslinking density of the gel network through physical crosslinking interactions, thereby improving thermal stability and reducing the swelling ratio of the gel. Under conditions of 120 °C and 6 MPa, SG-1.5 gel demonstrated a fluid loss volume of only 34.6 mL in 60–80-mesh sand bed tests. This gel achieves self-healing within fractures through dynamic hydrophobic associations and GO-enabled physical crosslinking interactions, forming a compact plugging layer. It provides an efficient solution for lost circulation control in drilling fluids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Petroleum Engineering: Enhancing Performance and Sustainability)
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13 pages, 2340 KiB  
Article
The Microscopic Mechanism of High Temperature Resistant Core-Shell Nano-Blocking Agent: Molecular Dynamics Simulations
by Zhenghong Du, Jiaqi Xv, Jintang Wang, Juyuan Zhang, Ke Zhao, Qi Wang, Qian Zheng, Jianlong Wang, Jian Li and Bo Liao
Polymers 2025, 17(14), 1969; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17141969 - 17 Jul 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
China has abundant shale oil and gas resources, which have become a critical pillar for future energy substitution. However, due to the highly heterogeneous nature and complex pore structures of shale reservoirs, traditional plugging agents face significant limitations in enhancing plugging efficiency and [...] Read more.
China has abundant shale oil and gas resources, which have become a critical pillar for future energy substitution. However, due to the highly heterogeneous nature and complex pore structures of shale reservoirs, traditional plugging agents face significant limitations in enhancing plugging efficiency and adapting to extreme wellbore environments. In response to the technical demands of nanoparticle-based plugging in shale reservoirs, this study systematically investigated the microscopic interaction mechanisms of nano-plugging agent shell polymers (Ployk) with various reservoir minerals under different temperature and salinity conditions using molecular simulation methods. Key parameters, including interfacial interaction energy, mean square displacement, and system density distribution, were calculated to thoroughly analyze the effects of temperature and salinity variations on adsorption stability and structural evolution. The results indicate that nano-plugging agent shell polymers exhibit pronounced mineral selectivity in their adsorption behavior, with particularly strong adsorption performance on SiO2 surfaces. Both elevated temperature and increased salinity were found to reduce the interaction strength between the shell polymers and mineral surfaces and significantly alter the spatial distribution and structural ordering of water molecules near the interface. These findings not only elucidate the fundamental interfacial mechanisms of nano-plugging agents in shale reservoirs but also provide theoretical guidance for the precise design of advanced nano-plugging agent materials, laying a scientific foundation for improving the engineering application performance of shale oil and gas wellbore-plugging technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Petroleum Engineering: Enhancing Performance and Sustainability)
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Review

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33 pages, 2003 KiB  
Review
Polyacrylamide-Based Solutions: A Comprehensive Review on Nanomaterial Integration, Supramolecular Design, and Sustainable Approaches for Integrated Reservoir Management
by Moamen Hassan Mohamed and Mysara Eissa Mohyaldinn Elhaj
Polymers 2025, 17(16), 2202; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17162202 - 12 Aug 2025
Viewed by 251
Abstract
Maximizing hydrocarbon recovery from mature and complex reservoirs is constrained by heterogeneity, sand production, and harsh operational conditions. While polyacrylamide (PAM)-based systems are pivotal in addressing these challenges, a comprehensive synthesis of their transformative evolution and multifunctional capabilities remains overdue. This review critically [...] Read more.
Maximizing hydrocarbon recovery from mature and complex reservoirs is constrained by heterogeneity, sand production, and harsh operational conditions. While polyacrylamide (PAM)-based systems are pivotal in addressing these challenges, a comprehensive synthesis of their transformative evolution and multifunctional capabilities remains overdue. This review critically analyzes advancements in PAM-based materials for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), conformance control, and sand management. We show that nanomaterial integration (e.g., magnetic NPs, nanoclays) significantly augments PAM’s rheological control, thermal and salinity stability, interfacial properties, and wettability alteration. Furthermore, the emergence of supramolecular chemistry has endowed PAM systems with unprecedented resilience, enabling self-healing and adaptive performance under extreme subsurface conditions. The review highlights a crucial paradigm shift towards integrated reservoir management, synergizing these advanced chemical designs with mechanical strategies and leveraging sophisticated monitoring and predictive analytics. Critically, innovations in sustainable and bio-inspired PAM materials offer environmentally responsible solutions with enhanced biodegradability. This synthesis provides a holistic understanding of the state of the art. Despite persistent challenges in scalability and predictability, continually re-engineered PAM systems are positioned as an indispensable and increasingly sustainable cornerstone for future hydrocarbon recovery in the complex energy landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Petroleum Engineering: Enhancing Performance and Sustainability)
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