Recent Developments in Low-Carbon and Efficient Extraction Technologies of Deep Unconventional Reservoirs
A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 417
Special Issue Editors
Interests: coalbed methane; underground coal gasification; resource evaluation; origin and enrichment of H2S
Interests: coalbed methane geology; carbon dioxide geological storage; gas injected for enhanced coalbed methane recovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: exploration and development of deep coalbed methane; CO2-enhanced coalbed methane recovery
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
China is reshaping the global energy landscape through its deep energy revolution, creating a new paradigm for unconventional resource development via three-dimensional synergy of technological breakthroughs, management innovation, and strategic planning. In strategic replacement zones below 1,500 meter depths, China has not only shattered the theoretical constraints of the "coalbed methane (CBM) extraction forbidden zone" but also established a comprehensive cost-reduction system across the entire industrial chain. This drives CBM production to exceed 11.7 billion cubic meters in 2024 with a year-on-year growth rate of 20.5%, and is projected to achieve 30 billion cubic meters production capacity by 2030—equivalent to adding a cluster of medium-sized gas fields. Simultaneously, this revolutionary practice forms strategic resonance with breakthroughs in continental shale oil development. Compared with marine shale oil, continental shale oil formed in complex geological environments exhibits strong reservoir heterogeneity, with significantly different enrichment patterns and extraction technologies that demand innovations in hydrocarbon generation mechanisms and mobility evaluation systems.
Looking forward, the following three certain trends will define the global energy landscape: (1) Technological leaps driving deeper resource extraction. (2) Unconventional resources becoming primary energy suppliers. (3) Low-carbon constraints catalyzing development model transformations. Under carbon neutrality goals, deep energy development demonstrates new technological convergences: CO2 displacement technology enhances CBM recovery while achieving carbon sequestration; waterless fracturing processes dramatically conserve water resources; and underground gasification technology converts coal into syngas in situ. These innovations form a "geological modification-energy extraction-carbon sequestration" trinity technology matrix, reducing comprehensive development costs for deep CBM, shale gas, and hot dry rock resources by 30%, providing a transformative model for global deep-Earth resource exploitation.
Based on the above, the current topic will explore the following discussion directions (including but not limited to):
(1) Impact of major geological events on organic matter enrichment;
(2) Hydrocarbon generation mechanisms and kinetic mechanisms of organic matter;
(3) Fine characterization of reservoir heterogeneity structures and their evolutionary patterns;
(4) Highly integrated energy geology–engineering sweet spot evaluation technology;
(5) Physical and chemical reservoir stimulation techniques;
(6) Solutions for technical bottlenecks in deep CBM/shale oil–gas development;
(7) CO2 geological storage technologies.
Prof. Dr. Haichao Wang
Dr. Zhenzhi Wang
Dr. Qinghe Niu
Dr. Boyang Wang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- deep energy
- coalbed methane
- shale oil
- CO2 displacement technology
- geological carbon dioxide storage technology
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