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Processes
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Advances in Enhancing Unconventional Oil/Gas Recovery, 3rd Edition
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Advances in Enhancing Unconventional Oil/Gas Recovery, 3rd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 6835

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Petroleum Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Interests: porous media flow; lattice Boltzmann method; pore-network modelling; reaction flow
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zheng Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: nanoconfined hydrocarbon phase behavior; nanoconfined fluid flow mechanism; pore network modeling; numerical simulation on coalbed methane reservoirs; production data analysis method; shale gas/oil development; CO2 storage and utilization; condensate gas reservoir
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dong Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: unconventional reservoir; micro- and nanoscale flow; interfacial phenomenon; phase behavior; CO2 capture; enhanced oil recovery
Dr. Wen Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: unconventional oil/gas reservoir; hydrocarbon migration and accumulation; tight gas exploration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, unconventional reservoirs (tight gas/oil reservoirs, coalbed methane, shale gas/oil reservoirs, etc.) have attracted massive attention and have played a significant role in satisfying growing energy demands. Unconventional reservoirs have low-porosity and low-permeability features, which are apparently different to conventional reservoirs, with the pore size falling in the microscale or even nanoscale. The difference results in the inapplicability of traditional theories/approaches/technologies to unconventional reservoirs. Specifically, the microscopic fluid distribution mode, fluid transport mechanisms, as well as fluid phase behavior evolve with pore size, while descriptions of the relationship are still vague. Due to the aforementioned unique characteristics, there are many challenges in the development of unconventional reservoirs, which demand novel solutions for improving oil/gas recovery efficiencies. For example, there are usually massive amounts of data collected from the production field; the consolidation/analysis of these data is becoming a key enabler for the discovery of dominant production drivers in unconventional reservoirs. Furthermore, multiscale characterization and multiphase flow modeling, closely related to multi-disciplinary research, are key fundamental aspects in building predictive models for these complex unconventional media. In light of the predominant interactions on a molecular scale, the utilization of advanced molecular simulation tools requires due attention and adequate discussion.

To bridge the current knowledge gap, this Special Issue is dedicated to attracting high-quality original research and reviews, focusing on advances in enhancing unconventional oil/gas recovery. The new progress, including laboratory measurements and modeling, field case studies, reservoir simulation studies, mathematical modeling, or a combination of these, are all welcome in this Special Issue.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Enrichment and migration mechanisms;
  • Fundamental studies of coupled transport, reactions, and/or mechanics;
  • Petrophysical properties in unconventional reservoirs;
  • New advances in hydraulic fracturing;
  • Multiscale and multiphysics modeling;
  • Fluid injection (gas, water, surfactant, microemulsion, etc.);
  • Novel methods for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery (CO2-EOR, CCUS, chemical, microbial);
  • Molecular simulation on fluid adsorption characteristics;
  • Machine learning and data science applications for unlocking unconventional reservoirs;
  • Practices and lessons from field applications.

Dr. Tao Zhang
Dr. Zheng Sun
Dr. Dong Feng
Dr. Wen Zhao
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 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-blind 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

  • unconventional reservoir
  • EOR/EGR
  • fluid transport
  • simulation
  • experiment
  • CCUS

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6942 KB  
Article
The Synergistic Impacts of Wormhole Length and Pressure-Depletion Rate on Cyclic Solvent Injection: An Experimental Study Utilizing Microfluidic Systems
by Sepideh Palizdan, Farshid Torabi, Ali Cheperli and Seyed Hossein Hashemi
Processes 2026, 14(6), 912; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14060912 - 12 Mar 2026
Viewed by 387
Abstract
Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sands (CHOPS) creates high-permeability wormhole networks that strongly influence post-CHOPS recovery performance. Although CSI is a promising post-CHOPS recovery method, the coupled effects of wormhole coverage and pressure depletion strategy on oil recovery remain insufficiently understood. In this [...] Read more.
Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sands (CHOPS) creates high-permeability wormhole networks that strongly influence post-CHOPS recovery performance. Although CSI is a promising post-CHOPS recovery method, the coupled effects of wormhole coverage and pressure depletion strategy on oil recovery remain insufficiently understood. In this study, microfluidic systems were employed to investigate the combined influence of wormhole length and pressure depletion strategy on CSI performance. Micromodels with varying wormhole lengths were used under different pressure-depletion strategies to examine oil production behavior over multiple CSI cycles. Macroscopic recovery trends were analyzed alongside microscopic observations of oil displacement, gas nucleation, and foamy oil development. The results show that increasing wormhole length enhances reservoir connectivity and solvent access, resulting in a 19% improvement in the total recovery factor by 19%. Lower depletion rates favor early cycles and capillary-driven recovery, whereas higher depletion rates become more effective in later cycles as gas expansion and foamy oil-assisted mechanisms intensify. An incremental pressure-depletion strategy that exploits this transition yielded the highest cumulative recovery rate at 46.3%. These findings show that wormholes amplify the impact of pressure depletion rate during CSI by enhancing reservoir connectivity and pressure communication, thereby increasing the effectiveness of adaptive depletion strategies in post-CHOPS reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Enhancing Unconventional Oil/Gas Recovery, 3rd Edition)
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23 pages, 8573 KB  
Article
Effects of Rock Sample Size on Critical Proppant Flowback Velocity and Implications for Production Optimization
by Xinyao Zhang, Huiying Tang, Yixin Guo, Cheng Du, Menglai Li and Shiyi Xie
Processes 2026, 14(5), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14050838 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 353
Abstract
Sand production in tight gas wells can cause severe erosion of downhole and surface facilities and pose a significant risk to safe and stable production. Proppant flowback is recognized as a key mechanism governing this process, and laboratory determination of the critical sand-production [...] Read more.
Sand production in tight gas wells can cause severe erosion of downhole and surface facilities and pose a significant risk to safe and stable production. Proppant flowback is recognized as a key mechanism governing this process, and laboratory determination of the critical sand-production velocity provides an effective means for quantitative evaluation. Most existing studies are based on modified American Petroleum Institute (API) conductivity tests, which require large sample volumes and involve long experimental cycles and high costs. Building on previous work, critical sand-production behavior was investigated under consistent experimental conditions by comparing plunger core samples with conventional API cells, focusing on the influence of closure pressure and sample scale. The results show that, under identical closure pressure, the critical sand-production velocity measured using plunger cores is lower than that obtained from API cells. At a closure pressure of 10 MPa, the critical velocity is approximately 30.8% lower, while the difference decreases to 0.67% at 30 MPa. Based on the experimental data, critical sand-production velocity models corresponding to the two sample scales were established and show good agreement with experimental observations. The model was further applied to the production history of Well W-1 in the Wenxing gas field to evaluate sand production risk and support production optimization. The field results demonstrate that the model can identify high-risk sand-production stages and provide quantitative guidance for stabilizing production and reducing sand production in tight gas wells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Enhancing Unconventional Oil/Gas Recovery, 3rd Edition)
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Review

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38 pages, 1247 KB  
Review
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage: Technology, Application, and Policy
by Zicheng Wang, Peng Yuan, Hui Yu, Qizhao Ma, Baoshen Xu and Dongya Zhao
Processes 2025, 13(11), 3414; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113414 - 24 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5657
Abstract
Global warming has become a major challenge facing human society, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being its primary driver. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) represents a promising technology for mitigating CO2 emissions from industrial and energy sectors. However, challenges [...] Read more.
Global warming has become a major challenge facing human society, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being its primary driver. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) represents a promising technology for mitigating CO2 emissions from industrial and energy sectors. However, challenges such as high energy consumption, lengthy construction cycles, significant costs, and inadequate policy and market mechanisms hinder the widespread adoption of CCUS technology. This paper reviews the potential, applications, and related policies of CCUS technology, highlighting current research progress and obstacles. First, it provides a comprehensive overview of the CCUS technology framework, detailing developments and engineering applications in capture, transport, enhanced oil recovery, and storage technologies. Through global case studies and analysis, the review also examines advancements in CCUS infrastructure and technology strategies, along with operational experiences from major global projects. Second, it delves into the mechanisms, applications, and challenges of CCUS-related technologies, which are crucial for advancing their industrial deployment. It also outlines policy measures adopted by different countries to support CCUS technology development and large-scale deployment. Finally, it projects future directions for CCUS technology and policy development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Enhancing Unconventional Oil/Gas Recovery, 3rd Edition)
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