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Processes
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Model of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration
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Model of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 3403

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bowen Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: unconventional oil and gas exploitation; geological hydrogen storage; oil and gas reservoir stimulation
Dr. Huimin Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: fractured rock mass seepage; unconventional oil and gas reservoir simulation; CO2 geological storage
Dr. Kangsheng Xue

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: fluid mechanics coupling; fractal; fluid flow mechanism; unconventional reservoirs simulation; geological reservoir modeling; multiphase flow
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite submissions to this Special Issue on “Model of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration”.

Unconventional oil and gas resources include shale gas, tight sandstone gas, coalbed methane, shale oil, gas hydrate, and so on. These resources are playing an increasingly important role in the world's energy structure. However, the complex geological conditions and ultra-low permeability of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs make traditional development techniques unsuitable and ineffective for these reservoirs. This results in low oil or gas production, serious environmental pollution, and other urgent issues. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the fundamental theoretical research on unconventional oil and gas to identify high-quality resources and optimize development technologies, thereby accelerating the extraction of these resources.

This Special Issue invites papers that address new scientific advancements to enhance the recovery process of unconventional oil and gas. We especially welcome submissions on the following topics:

  • Tight gas extraction;
  • Multiple flow mechanisms;
  • Energy gas storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs;
  • Enhanced oil/gas recovery;
  • Numerical model development;
  • Digital core technology;
  • Wellbore and drilling mechanics;
  • Hydraulic/anhydrous fracturing technology.

We look forward to receiving insightful contributions.

Dr. Bowen Hu
Dr. Huimin Wang
Guest Editors

Dr. Kangsheng Xue
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 oil and gas
  • reservoir geomechanics
  • multi-physics field coupling
  • flow in porous and factured media
  • reservoir staility

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4748 KiB  
Article
Statistical Damage Constitutive Model for Mudstone Based on Triaxial Compression Tests
by Yuanjie Liu, Lichuan Chen, Shicong Ren, Xiujun Li, Mengjiao Liu and Kun Long
Processes 2025, 13(3), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13030864 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 352
Abstract
For the purpose of precisely depicting the failure and deformation of mudstone at varying burial depths under engineering activities, a statistical meso-damage constitutive model of mudstone was established on the basis of continuum damage mechanics, with the adoption of the compound power function [...] Read more.
For the purpose of precisely depicting the failure and deformation of mudstone at varying burial depths under engineering activities, a statistical meso-damage constitutive model of mudstone was established on the basis of continuum damage mechanics, with the adoption of the compound power function and the Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion. Through triaxial compression tests under diverse confining pressures, the validity of this constitutive model was verified, and the macroscopic effects of mudstone damage evolution induced by internal defects and alterations in meso-structures were analyzed. The results reveal that an increase in confining pressure can remarkably enhance both the peak strength and the residual strength of mudstone. The constitutive model demonstrates relatively high accuracy in predicting the stress–strain responses, as well as the residual strength of mudstone. Moreover, parameter ε0 is capable of reflecting the macroscopic deformation strength of mudstone. Specifically, the larger the value of parameter ε0 is, the greater the peak deviatoric stress of mudstone will be, accompanied by a stronger bearing capacity. Parameter m, on the other hand, governs the brittle-to-ductile transition characteristics under failure. It also demonstrates that the macroscopic brittle failure characteristics of mudstone will become more noticeable as the value of parameter m increases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration)
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22 pages, 12725 KiB  
Article
Application of the Hydrocarbon Generation Potential Method in Resource Potential Evaluation: A Case Study of the Qiongzhusi Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China
by Hanxuan Yang, Chao Geng, Majia Zheng, Zhiwei Zheng, Hui Long, Zijing Chang, Jieke Li, Hong Pang and Jian Yang
Processes 2024, 12(12), 2928; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12122928 - 21 Dec 2024
Viewed by 864
Abstract
Global recoverable shale gas reserves are estimated to be 214.5 × 1012 m3. Estimation methods for shale gas resources, such as volumetric, analog, and genetic approaches, have been widely used in previous studies. However, these approaches have notable limitations, including [...] Read more.
Global recoverable shale gas reserves are estimated to be 214.5 × 1012 m3. Estimation methods for shale gas resources, such as volumetric, analog, and genetic approaches, have been widely used in previous studies. However, these approaches have notable limitations, including the substantial effect of rock heterogeneity, difficulties in determining the similarity of analog accumulations, and unsuitability for evaluating high-mature–overmature source rocks. In the Qiongzhusi Formation (Є1q) of the Sichuan Basin, China, extensive development of high-mature–overmature shales has led to significant advancements in conventional and unconventional shale gas exploration. This progress highlights the need for the development of an integrated evaluation system for conventional and unconventional resources. Hence, this study uses the whole petroleum system theory and an improved hydrocarbon generation potential method to analyze the distribution patterns of hydrocarbon generation, retention, and expulsion during various stages of oil and gas accumulation in the Є1q. In addition, it assesses the resource potential of conventional and shale oil and gas. Hydrocarbon generation and expulsion centers are favorable exploration targets for conventional oil and gas, primarily located in the central and northern regions of the Mianyang—Changning rift trough, with an estimated resource potential of 6560 × 1012 m3. Hydrocarbon retention centers represent promising targets for shale oil and gas exploration, concentrated in the central Mianyang—Changning rift trough, with a resource potential of 287 × 1012 m3. This study provides strategic guidance for future oil and gas exploration in the Є1q and offers a methodological reference for integrated resource assessments of conventional and unconventional oil and gas systems of high-mature–overmature source rocks in similar basins worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration)
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23 pages, 7096 KiB  
Article
A Novel Strength Reduction Method for a Slope Stability Assessment Based on a Finite Element Method
by Yuming Gu, Yunxing Yuan, Kangsheng Xue, Yongming Yin, Sen Lu and Xutong Jiang
Processes 2024, 12(10), 2273; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12102273 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1446
Abstract
Ensuring the stability of slopes is critical to the safe operation of geotechnical engineering. Evaluating slope stability to minimize geologic risks induced by destabilization is significant in reducing casualties and property damage. A conventional, single-coefficient strength reduction method is widely applied in slope [...] Read more.
Ensuring the stability of slopes is critical to the safe operation of geotechnical engineering. Evaluating slope stability to minimize geologic risks induced by destabilization is significant in reducing casualties and property damage. A conventional, single-coefficient strength reduction method is widely applied in slope stability analyses, but this method ignores the attenuation degree of different parameters in the slope destabilization. A new double-strength reduction method considering different contributions of the mechanics’ parameters is proposed in this study for evaluating the stability of nonhomogeneous slope. First, the role of each mechanic’s parameters in the slope destabilization was investigated theoretically and numerically using ABAQUS software 2022. The results indicate that the effect of elasticity (E), Poisson’s ratio (v), and soil gravity (γ) on the evolution of factor of safety (FOS) are insignificant and can be neglected compared with cohesive force (c), and angle of internal friction (φ). Next, an improved method was constructed to correlate the FOS with cohesive force (c) and the angle of internal friction (φ). Then, a numerical method was constructed based on the computation of the mathematical–mechanical relationship between FOS and the mechanical parameters, and the stability of slope is estimation based on the Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion. Finally, the double-strength reduction coefficient method proposed in this study, the limit equilibrium method, and the traditional finite element strength reduction coefficient method were applied to nonhomogeneous slopes and slopes containing a soft underlying layer for comparison, and the difference between them was within the range of ±5%. The results indicate that both the limit equilibrium method and the traditional finite element strength reduction method tend to overestimate the FOS of intricate slopes compared with the evaluated method proposed in this study. This parallel comparison serves to validate the accuracy of the double-strength reduction method proposed in the present study. Further, based on the proposed method, the relationship between slope stability and slope displacement is established, which provides a theoretical basis for the safety assessment of slope engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Model of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration)
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