Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves into the exploration of chemical compounds and gels in oil and gas fields, aiming to enhance drilling efficiency and improve oil recovery. We invite contributions covering a wide array of topics, including novel gel synthesis, mathematical modeling, the experimental evaluation of gel performance, and applications of chemical compounds as well as gels in drilling operations and oil recovery processes.

Gels, characterized by their elastomeric nature and three-dimensional network structure, comprising polymers, cross-linkers, and other additives, play pivotal roles across various domains of oil and gas drilling and production engineering. Their applications range from serving as drilling fluids to controlling lost circulation, facilitating fracturing, acidizing, conformance control, water shutoff, and enhancing oil recovery.

In the challenging environments of oil and gas reservoirs, gels often encounter high temperatures and salinity levels. These conditions can compromise the structural integrity of polymer chains, leading to a significant decline in stability. Consequently, preserving the desirable properties of gels under such harsh conditions poses formidable challenges. Therefore, extensive efforts are warranted to develop novel gel formulations, assess their physical and chemical characteristics under high-temperature as well as high-salinity conditions, and explore their efficacy in drilling and enhanced oil recovery processes through laboratory investigations.

Moreover, the intricate nature of reservoirs implies that certain gels may exhibit different behaviors in field settings compared to laboratory environments. Hence, insights gleaned from field application studies are invaluable for informing future gel development, evaluation, and deployment strategies.

We eagerly anticipate the submission of fresh research endeavors in both chemical compounds and gels aimed at optimizing drilling operations and enhanced oil recovery.

Prof. Dr. Junjian Li
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 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. Gels 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 2600 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.

• gel synthesis
• gel evaluation
• gel drilling fluids
• gel plugging
• gel fracturing fluid
• gel acid
• gel conformance control
• gel displacement
• gel application

• Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery (2nd Edition) in Gels (12 articles)