Global Unconventional Shale Oil and Gas: Geological Mechanisms, Technological Innovations, and Economic–Environmental Sustainability Assessment

Dear Colleague,

In recent years, the success of shale oil and gas production in North America has not only cemented the United States’ position as a leader in the global energy landscape but also driven significant advances in geological theory and the development of technologies for shale resources. In China, Cambrian–Ordovician–Silurian marine shales—characterized by high total organic carbon (TOC) and extensive pore–fracture networks—have been used in commercial-scale production. Meanwhile, in Asia, countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are rapidly advancing unconventional hydrocarbon exploration and pilot projects. This topic brings together the latest insights into the geological mechanisms and technological innovations underpinning shale oil and gas—such as multi-scale pore–fracture characterization, integrated sedimentary–structural–diagenetic modeling, and AI-driven sweet-spot prediction and production optimization—while also incorporating economic evaluation and environmental sustainability to promote efficient, safe, and low-carbon unconventional hydrocarbon development. This topic invites the submission of original research and review articles that integrate geological mechanisms, engineering technologies, and economic–environmental sustainability assessments into a unified, interdisciplinary framework. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Global resource appraisal and development management; Fault–fracture networks and their impact on reservoir continuity and productivity; Organic matter enrichment processes and diagenetic evolution; Stratigraphic architecture and facies characterization; Multi-scale pore–fracture network quantification; CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) strategies in unconventional plays; Full life-cycle economic cost–benefit analysis and low-carbon pathway assessment; Hydraulic fracturing design and real-time monitoring; Digital oilfield technologies and closed-loop production control; Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance evaluation frameworks; Dependence on mineral resource extraction and challenges in the green-energy transition.

Dr. Hu Li
Dr. Kun Zhang
Topic Editors