Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.7
3.4
Journals
Processes
Special Issues
Study of Modeling and Simulation of Oil and Gas Reservoirs...
share announcement

Study of Modeling and Simulation of Oil and Gas Reservoirs Engineering

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2026) | Viewed by 2764

Editor

Dr. Jingchen Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology Research Institute Organization, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Interests: fracturing; new technologies for oil and gas field development; unconventional reservoirs; basin simulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Conventional small-scale laboratory experiments, while foundational, face critical limitations in addressing the complexities of unconventional reservoir systems. These methods often oversimplify in situ conditions by decoupling key geological and engineering factors, such as true triaxial stress states, multi-physical field interactions, and long-term dynamic damage effects, leading to significant gaps between laboratory insights and field-scale behaviors. Limited sample sizes fail to capture reservoir heterogeneity and fracture–network connectivity, while static or low-pressure conditions cannot replicate the nonlinear seepage dynamics of multiphase fluids in micro–nanopores. Furthermore, traditional experiments struggle to quantify cross-scale mechanisms, such as proppant transport in complex fracture geometries or energy redistribution during repeated fracturing, hindering the development of predictive models for engineering optimization.

This Special Issue seeks to overcome these constraints by advancing highly innovative large-scale experimental methods tailored to unconventional reservoirs. We prioritize studies employing true triaxial fracturing simulation systems to model fracture propagation under realistic stress fields, high-temperature/pressure in situ seepage visualization platforms for pore-scale fluid dynamics analysis, and multi-scale core dynamic damage devices to quantify fracture thresholds under cyclic loading. Submissions integrating micro–nano CT scanning with digital core coupling techniques are encouraged to establish structure–property relationships across scales. Research must demonstrate how these methods resolve heterogeneity, multiphysics coupling, and nonlinear flow challenges, providing transformative experimental frameworks for mechanistic discovery and field applications.

Dr. Jingchen Zhang
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes 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 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

  • large-scale experimental methods
  • multi-physical field coupling
  • micro–nano-pore dynamics
  • unconventional reservoir development
  • long-term dynamic

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 5727 KB  
Article
CFD Simulation on Jet Flow Field Characteristics of CO2 Perforation Fracturing
by Zefeng Li, Long Chai, Yining Zhou, Jianping Lan, Mian Zhang, Yuchen Tian and Linghong Tang
Processes 2026, 14(8), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14081236 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 561
Abstract
During the CO2 fracturing of unconventional oil and gas resources, the structural and operational parameters significantly influence the fracturing effectiveness. To quantitatively reveal the influence mechanisms of key parameters on the CO2 jet flow field through perforations, this study employed computational [...] Read more.
During the CO2 fracturing of unconventional oil and gas resources, the structural and operational parameters significantly influence the fracturing effectiveness. To quantitatively reveal the influence mechanisms of key parameters on the CO2 jet flow field through perforations, this study employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) via Ansys Fluent to simulate and compare the effects of the nozzle contraction angle, injection rate, confining pressure, and fluid temperature. The results indicate that the contraction angles and injection rates have a more significant influence on the jet temperature, pressure, and velocity than the confining pressures and fluid temperatures. As the contraction angle increases, the average velocity of the jet core region increases by 5.0% (with the most significant growth at 35°), and the length of the potential core increases correspondingly. The flow through the perforations is characterized by an instantaneous drop of 2.5 °C in temperature and 2.7 MPa in pressure, then transitions to a regime of temperature recovery and dynamical pressure decay along the fracture. Increasing the fracturing displacement raises the maximum jet velocity to 104.7 m/s (an average increase of 15.5%), extends the potential core length, and amplifies the temperature and pressure drops across the perforation from 1.1 °C and 1.2 MPa to 4.2 °C and 4.8 MPa, respectively. Conversely, higher confining pressure reduces the average jet velocity by 4.3%, shortens the potential core, and diminishes the perforation temperature and pressure drops from 5 °C and 3 MPa to 2 °C and 2.5 MPa. In contrast, elevating the fluid temperature increases the jet velocity by an average of 6.3% but exerts minimal influence on the potential core length; the temperature drop at the perforation remains at approximately 2 °C, while the pressure drop rises from 2.2 MPa to 2.9 MPa. Collectively, both the confining pressure and fluid temperature significantly affect the density and velocity characteristics of the jet. An increase in confining pressure enhances the density of the CO2 jet fluid, which may potentially improve the fracturing impact in actual engineering applications. Quantitatively, the influence of each parameter on the temperature, pressure, and velocity of the CO2 jet is ranked from the most significant to the least as follows: nozzle contraction angle > fracturing injection displacement > formation confining pressure > fluid temperature. The findings of this research have direct implications for practical application, informing the optimization of the fracturing design to achieve greater efficiency and lower risk in CO2 fracturing operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study of Modeling and Simulation of Oil and Gas Reservoirs Engineering)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3414 KB  
Article
Capillary–Viscoelastic Coupling and Multiscale Imbibition Dynamics in Tight Conglomerate Rocks
by Xiaodong Guo, Shicheng Zhang, Jingchen Zhang, Yi Wan, Xiangrui Xi and Chengsheng Zhang
Processes 2026, 14(4), 625; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14040625 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 530
Abstract
Tight conglomerate reservoirs exhibit strong pore-scale heterogeneity and extremely low permeability, in which spontaneous imbibition is primarily governed by capillary and viscoelastic effects. In this study, the imbibition dynamics of four representative fracturing fluid systems, including slickwater, 3% potassium chloride (KCl) brine, hydrolyzed [...] Read more.
Tight conglomerate reservoirs exhibit strong pore-scale heterogeneity and extremely low permeability, in which spontaneous imbibition is primarily governed by capillary and viscoelastic effects. In this study, the imbibition dynamics of four representative fracturing fluid systems, including slickwater, 3% potassium chloride (KCl) brine, hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) viscoelastic fluid, and a nanoemulsion (NE), were investigated using a temperature-controlled nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) monitoring system. This approach enables real-time quantification of fluid uptake and pore-scale redistribution through time-resolved T2 spectral analysis. The experimental results reveal a three-stage imbibition process consisting of rapid capillary-driven uptake, viscoelastic-retarded transition, and final equilibrium. Among the four fracturing fluid systems, the nanoemulsion exhibits the lowest interfacial tension (1.72 mN/m), the strongest wettability alteration, and the highest equilibrium recovery (0.76), which is nearly 80% greater than that of slickwater. Based on these observations, a multiscale capillary–viscoelastic coupling model was developed by extending the Lucas–Washburn framework to incorporate pore-size distribution, time-dependent wettability evolution, and viscoelastic damping. The model fits the experimental data well (R2 > 0.90) and identifies viscosity as the most influential parameter controlling the imbibition rate (sensitivity = 0.78). Energy analysis further indicates that capillary energy dominates the early stage, whereas viscoelastic energy storage sustains fluid transport during the later stage. SEM observations were further used to qualitatively corroborate pore heterogeneity and pore–mineral associations, supporting the NMR-based pore-scale interpretation. This study provides a quantitative framework for describing non-Newtonian capillary flow in tight conglomerate rocks and enhances the understanding of capillary–viscoelastic interactions relevant to multiphase fluid migration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study of Modeling and Simulation of Oil and Gas Reservoirs Engineering)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 12727 KB  
Article
Quantitative 3D Depositional Element Modeling of the Mishrif Carbonate Platform: Enhancing Reservoir Performance Prediction
by Shunming Li, Rubing Han, Zhiyang Pi, Gang Hui and Hui He
Processes 2025, 13(9), 2941; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13092941 - 15 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1255
Abstract
Qualitative schematic models of the Mishrif Formation, which have previously dominated the research, are inadequate for predicting reservoir production performance due to their inability to quantify spatial heterogeneity. In contrast to these earlier approaches, this study integrates core analysis, wireline logs, and 3D [...] Read more.
Qualitative schematic models of the Mishrif Formation, which have previously dominated the research, are inadequate for predicting reservoir production performance due to their inability to quantify spatial heterogeneity. In contrast to these earlier approaches, this study integrates core analysis, wireline logs, and 3D seismic data to not only describe but also quantitatively characterize the depositional elements and their spatial distribution. A novel methodology was developed to define nine distinct depositional elements from cored wells and then continuously identify them in uncored wells using unique pseudo-wireline log responses, a step not achieved in prior work. Furthermore, moving beyond previous qualitative models, 3D quantitative versions were constructed using Sequential Indicator Simulation (SIS) explicitly constrained by depositional geometries derived from 3D seismic inversion volumes. For the first time, these models reveal the quantitative spatial extent and evolution of these elements. Updating the 3D petrophysical property model using this new depositional framework resulted in a 15% increase in successful production history matches, demonstrating the direct and superior predictive power of this integrated quantitative approach for forecasting oil reservoir production performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study of Modeling and Simulation of Oil and Gas Reservoirs Engineering)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop