Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.05.022
Wen-Bin He , Ji-Lin Fan , Qiong Zhang , Ya Jin , Wei Yuan , Quan-Wen Zhang
{"title":"Thin layer identification using a theoretical X-ray logging while drilling (LWD) density imaging tool","authors":"Wen-Bin He , Ji-Lin Fan , Qiong Zhang , Ya Jin , Wei Yuan , Quan-Wen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.05.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.05.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the increasing demand for oil exploration and subsurface resource development, density imaging plays an increasingly important role in identifying thin layers. However, conventional density imaging tools are limited by poor vertical resolution and therefore suffer from errors in accurately estimating the thickness and relative dip angle of thin layers. This affects the accurate evaluation of thin layer oil and gas reserves. To address this issue, this study evaluates the feasibility of employing novel methods based on advanced tool design. First, an electronically controllable X-ray source is selected to replace the traditional Cs-137 source, aiming to improve the tool's vertical resolution while reducing the radioactive risks commonly associated with chemical sources. Simulation results show that the X-ray tool provides sufficient depth of investigation with better vertical resolution while maintaining the same level of measurement sensitivity. Once the tool design is established, Fisher's optimal segmentation method is improved to enhance the estimation of thin layer thickness and relative dip angle. This is completed by transforming identifying thin layer interface into a mathematical clustering problem. The thin layer interface is fitted using the nonlinear least squares method, which enables the calculation of its parameters. The results demonstrate a 38.5% reduction in RMSE (<em>root mean square error</em>) for thin layer thickness and a 33.7% reduction in RMSE for relative dip angle, demonstrating the superior performance of enhanced X-ray tool in thin layer identification. This study provides a new perspective on the design of density imaging tools and assessment of thin layer, which can help in future thin layer hydrocarbon reserves evaluation and development decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2403-2413"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.002
Yun Zhao , Xiao-Tao Wen , Chun-Lan Xie , Bo Li , Chen-Long Li , Xiao Pan , Xi-Yan Zhou
{"title":"Simultaneous seismic inversion of effective stress parameter, fluid bulk modulus, and fracture density in TTI media","authors":"Yun Zhao , Xiao-Tao Wen , Chun-Lan Xie , Bo Li , Chen-Long Li , Xiao Pan , Xi-Yan Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Predictions of fluid distribution, stress field, and natural fracture are essential for exploiting unconventional shale gas reservoirs. Given the high likelihood of tilted fractures in subsurface formations, this study focuses on simultaneous seismic inversion to estimate fluid bulk modulus, effective stress parameter, and fracture density in the tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) medium. In this article, a novel PP-wave reflection coefficient approximation equation is first derived based on the constructed TTI stiffness matrix incorporating fracture density, effective stress parameter, and fluid bulk modulus. The high accuracy of the proposed equation has been demonstrated using an anisotropic two-layer model. Furthermore, a stepwise seismic inversion strategy with the L<sub><em>P</em></sub> quasi-norm sparsity constraint is implemented to obtain the anisotropic and isotropic parameters. Three synthetic model tests with varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) confirm the method's feasibility and noise robustness. Ultimately, the proposed method is applied to a 3D fractured shale gas reservoir in the Sichuan Basin, China. The results have effectively characterized shale gas distribution, stress fields, and tilted natural fractures, with validation from geological structures, well logs, and microseismic events. These findings can provide valuable guidance for hydraulic fracturing development, enabling more reliable predictions of reservoir heterogeneity and completion quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2384-2402"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.013
Qi Jing , Zi-Yu Fan , Rui Zhou , Yun-Tao Li
{"title":"The influence mechanism of liquid sedimentary layers in urban underground spaces on the characteristics of natural gas explosions and damage risk","authors":"Qi Jing , Zi-Yu Fan , Rui Zhou , Yun-Tao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gas explosions are a frequent hazard in underground confined spaces in the process of urban development. Liquid sedimentary layers, commonly present in these environments, have not been sufficiently studied in terms of their impact on explosion dynamics. This study aims to investigate how gas-liquid two-phase environments in confined underground spaces affect the explosion characteristics of natural gas. To achieve this, experiments are conducted to examine the propagation of natural gas explosions in water and diesel layers, focusing on the influence of liquid properties and the liquid fullness degree (<em>L</em><sub>x</sub>) on explosion behavior. The results indicate that the presence of a liquid layer after the initial ignition stage significantly attenuates both the peak overpressure and the rise speed of pressure, in comparison to the natural gas conditions. During the subsequent explosive reaction, the evaporation and combustion of the diesel surface resulted in a distinct double-peak pressure rise profile in the diesel layer, with the second peak notably exceeding the first peak. Under conditions with a liquid sedimentary layer, the flame propagation velocities range from 6.53 to 34.1 m/s, while the overpressure peaks vary between 0.157 and 0.255 MPa. The explosion duration in both the water and diesel layer environments is approximately twice as long as that of the natural gas explosion, although the underlying mechanisms differ. In the diesel layer, the prolonged explosion time is attributed to the evaporation and combustion of the diesel, while in the water layer, the flame propagation velocity is significantly reduced. Under the experimental conditions, the maximum explosion energy reached 7.15 × 10<sup>6</sup> J, corresponding to a TNT equivalent of 1.7. The peak overpressure surpassed the threshold for human fatality as defined by overpressure standards, posing a potential risk of damage to large steel-frame structures. The explosion shockwave in diesel layer conditions (<em>L</em><sub>d</sub> = 0%, 5%, 7.5%, 12.5%) and water layer (<em>L</em><sub>w</sub> = 12.5%) conditions is observed to be sufficient to damage earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete. This study investigates the impact of sediment layer thickness and composition on gas explosions, and evaluates the associated explosion energy to assess human injuries and structural damage in underground environments. The findings of this study provide a scientific reference for urban underground safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2619-2629"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.003
Ning Huang , Jin-Sheng Sun , Jing-Ping Liu , Kai-He Lv , Xue-Fei Deng , Hai-Jiang Yi
{"title":"Research on small molecule wetting agent for drilling fluids applied in Antarctic drilling engineering","authors":"Ning Huang , Jin-Sheng Sun , Jing-Ping Liu , Kai-He Lv , Xue-Fei Deng , Hai-Jiang Yi","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antarctica contains numerous scientific mysteries, and the Antarctic ice sheet and its underlying bedrock contain important information about the geological structure of Antarctica and the evolutionary history of the ice sheet. In order to obtain the focus of these scientific explorations, the Antarctic drilling engineering is constantly developing. The drilling fluid performance directly determines the success or failure of drilling engineering. In order to enhance the poor performance for drilling fluids due to poor dispersion stability and easy settling of organoclay at ultra-low temperatures, the small-molecule wetting agent (HSR) for drilling fluid suitable for Antarctica was prepared by oleic acid, diethanolamine and benzoic acid as raw materials. Its chemical structure, properties and action mechanism were investigated by various experimental methods. The experimental results showed that 2% HSR could improve the colloidal rate for drilling fluid from 6.4% to 84.8%, and the increase rate of yield point was up to 167%. Meanwhile, it also made the drilling fluid excellent in shear dilution and thixotropy. In addition, 2% HSR could increase the density from 0.872 to 0.884 g/cm<sup>3</sup> at −55 °C. And the drilling fluid with 2% HSR had a good thermal conductivity of 0.1458 W/(m·K) at −55 °C. This study gives a new direction for the research of drilling fluid treatment agents suitable for the Antarctic region, which will provide strong support for the scientific exploration of the Antarctic region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2465-2477"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.029
Yang Wang , Shi-Long Yang , Hang Xie , Yu Jiang , Shi-Qing Cheng , Jia Zhang
{"title":"Dynamic characterization of viscoelasticity during polymer flooding: A two-phase numerical well test model and field study","authors":"Yang Wang , Shi-Long Yang , Hang Xie , Yu Jiang , Shi-Qing Cheng , Jia Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polymer flooding is an important means of improving oil recovery and is widely used in Daqing, Xinjiang, and Shengli oilfields, China. Different from conventional injection media such as water and gas, viscoelastic polymer solutions exhibit non-Newtonian and nonlinear flow behavior including shear thinning and shear thickening, polymer convection, diffusion, adsorption, retention, inaccessible pore volume, and reduced effective permeability. However, available well test model of polymer flooding wells generally simplifies these characteristics on pressure transient response, which may lead to inaccurate results. This work proposes a novel two-phase numerical well test model to better describe the polymer viscoelasticity and nonlinear flow behavior. Different influence factors that related to near-well blockage during polymer flooding process, including the degree of blockage (inner zone permeability), the extent of blockage (composite radius), and polymer flooding front radius are explored to investigate these impacts on bottom hole pressure responses. Results show that polymer viscoelasticity has a significant impact on the transitional flow segment of type curves, and the effects of near-well formation blockage and polymer concentration distribution on well test curves are very similar. Thus, to accurately interpret the degree of near-well blockage in injection wells, it is essential to first eliminate the influence of polymer viscoelasticity. Finally, a field case is comprehensively analyzed and discussed to illustrate the applicability of the proposed model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2493-2501"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.043
Qian Wang , Zhi-Jun Zhang , Jian-Long Xiong , Jian Shen , Paul W.J. Glover , Piroska Lorinczi
{"title":"Evaluation of CO2 storage in fractured coal seam and the effect of coal fines","authors":"Qian Wang , Zhi-Jun Zhang , Jian-Long Xiong , Jian Shen , Paul W.J. Glover , Piroska Lorinczi","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gas channeling in fractures during CO<sub>2</sub> injection into the deep coal seam seriously reduces the CO<sub>2</sub> storage efficiency after the development of coalbed methane. The generation and migration of coal fines causes blockages in the fractures in the stage of drainage and gas production, reducing the gas channeling effect of injected CO<sub>2</sub> caused by the heterogeneity of the coal seam. To explore the impact of coal fines within coal seam fractures on the efficacy of CO<sub>2</sub> storage, experiments on the production stage and CO<sub>2</sub> injection for storage were conducted on coal combinations containing propped fractures, fractures, and matrix. The CO<sub>2</sub> storage characteristics of coal at the constraint of coal fines, as well as the influence of multiple rounds of intermittent CO<sub>2</sub> injection and different injection parameters on the CO<sub>2</sub> storage effect, were analyzed. The research results show that blockage by coal fines increases the resistance to fluid flow in the fractures by 71.2%. The CO<sub>2</sub> storage capacity and storage potential of coal with coal fines are 6.5 cm<sup>3</sup>/g and 8.8% higher than those of coal without coal fines, while the CO<sub>2</sub> storage capacity of fractured coal under the influence of coal fines has the largest increase of 9.4 cm<sup>3</sup>/g. The CO<sub>2</sub> storage of coal containing coal fines is significantly higher (6.6%) than that of the coal without coal fines. The CO<sub>2</sub> storage effect of the coal with coal fines is improved with the increase in injection rate, whereas the CO<sub>2</sub> storage effect of the coal without coal fines decreases significantly (by 7.8%). Multiple rounds of intermittent injection increases the CO<sub>2</sub> storage volume of coal by 20.4% (with coal fines) and 17.1% (without coal fines). The presence of coal fines in fractures also slows down the downward trend of CO<sub>2</sub> storage fraction after multiple rounds of CO<sub>2</sub> injection. The blockage in fractures significantly increases the CO<sub>2</sub> injection time and difficulty, but can increase the CO<sub>2</sub> storage fraction by 4.7%–17.1%, and the storage volume by 1.9%–14%, increasing the feasibility of CO<sub>2</sub> storage in fractured coal seams that have previously been exploited for methane production. The multiple rounds of intermittent CO<sub>2</sub> injection and shut-in periods has shown potential for greater CO<sub>2</sub> storage and injection efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2502-2515"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.015
Bai-Wen Huang , Ning Ye , Zi-Ye Lu , Bei Zhu , Yi-Ming Yang , Pan Lin , Pei-Jie Li , Xin-Yan Zhang , Ying-Tao Li , Shao-Nan Zhang
{"title":"Paleo-fluid evolution in the Lower-Middle Ordovician carbonate reservoirs of the Shunbei area, Tarim Basin","authors":"Bai-Wen Huang , Ning Ye , Zi-Ye Lu , Bei Zhu , Yi-Ming Yang , Pan Lin , Pei-Jie Li , Xin-Yan Zhang , Ying-Tao Li , Shao-Nan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.03.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Deep carbonate reservoirs affected by prominent strike-slip faults represent crucial targets in oil and gas exploration owing to their immense resource potential. However, the complex geological environments and poorly understood histories of the associated paleo-fluid activity have hindered the development of robust theories regarding pore formation and preservation mechanisms, resulting in suboptimal exploration strategies. Leveraging the extensive well deployment by the China Sinopec Group in the Shunbei area of the Tarim Basin, this study addresses these challenges by establishing a comprehensive framework for the evolution of diagenetic fluids within the Middle-Lower Ordovician carbonate formations. Using core samples, thin-section analysis, and cathodoluminescence observations, this study employs high-resolution geochemical methodologies, including isotopic analyses, rare earth element profiling, fluid inclusion studies, and uranium-lead dating, as primary tools for identifying and interpreting paleo-fluid characteristics across various rock types and calcite cement varieties within this stratigraphic interval. The findings reveal several key insights: (i) both RFC and C1 cements are derived from seawater, with C1 forming under burial conditions; (ii) C2, C3, and VC cements result from distinct tectonic events, specifically during the first and third episodes of the Middle Caledonian movement, with meteoric water infiltrating fault systems independently of orogenic belts or paleo-karst systems; and (iii) previous conclusions are challenged, as the influence of hydrothermal activity in this area is found to be minimal. Furthermore, the model presented here serves as a valuable reference for understanding fluid activity events at distal locations within orogenic belts under compressive stress, while accurately capturing fluid variations over different temporal scales within fault zones plays a decisive role.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2290-2306"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.005
Yong-Dong Fan , Hui-Wen Pang , Yan Jin , Han Meng , Yun-Hu Lu , Hao-Dong Chen
{"title":"A new method for the rate of penetration prediction and control based on signal decomposition and causal inference","authors":"Yong-Dong Fan , Hui-Wen Pang , Yan Jin , Han Meng , Yun-Hu Lu , Hao-Dong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Offshore drilling costs are high, and the downhole environment is even more complex. Improving the rate of penetration (ROP) can effectively shorten offshore drilling cycles and improve economic benefits. It is difficult for the current ROP models to guarantee the prediction accuracy and the robustness of the models at the same time. To address the current issues, a new ROP prediction model was developed in this study, which considers ROP as a time series signal (ROP signal). The model is based on the time convolutional network (TCN) framework and integrates ensemble empirical modal decomposition (EEMD) and Bayesian network causal inference (BN), the model is named EEMD-BN-TCN. Within the proposed model, the EEMD decomposes the original ROP signal into multiple sets of sub-signals. The BN determines the causal relationship between the sub-signals and the key physical parameters (weight on bit and revolutions per minute) and carries out preliminary reconstruction of the sub-signals based on the causal relationship. The TCN predicts signals reconstructed by BN. When applying this model to an actual production well, the average absolute percentage error of the EEMD-BN-TCN prediction decreased from 18.4% with TCN to 9.2%. In addition, compared with other models, the EEMD-BN-TCN can improve the decomposition signal of ROP by regulating weight on bit and revolutions per minute, ultimately enhancing ROP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2414-2437"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Petroleum SciencePub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2025.05.010
Ying Sun , Bin Wang , Haizhu Wang , Boxin Ding
{"title":"Molecular simulation of the solubility of hydrocarbon oligomers in supercritical CO2 for direct viscosification","authors":"Ying Sun , Bin Wang , Haizhu Wang , Boxin Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.05.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.petsci.2025.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Direct viscosification of CO<sub>2</sub> offers promising alternative for mobility control and reduction in residual brine saturation, thus to improve the CO<sub>2</sub> trapping in saline aquifers. Hydrocarbon oligomers, recognized for their exceptional properties, are considered as one of the most promising viscosifiers in displacement of brine-saturated porous media. However, the molecular-level mechanisms governing the solubility and viscosification of hydrocarbon oligomers in scCO<sub>2</sub> remain poorly understood. In this study, we employ coarse-grained molecular models to advance our understanding in the effects of molecular structure of hydrocarbon oligomers on their solubility in scCO<sub>2</sub>. The coarse-grained models of five hydrocarbon oligomers with different numbers of methyl-branch (n-C32, P1D-2, P1D-3, P1D-6 and squalane) are established to investigate their effects on solubilization in scCO<sub>2</sub>. We demonstrate that the number of methyl groups has a monotonic correlation with the solubility of hydrocarbon oligomers when the molecular weights of oligomers are comparable. The radial distribution function reveals n-C32, P1D and squalane are uniformly dispersed with separation distances of approximately 1.0–2.0 nm. The interaction energy between hydrocarbon oligomers and CO<sub>2</sub> shows that the number of methyl-branch in hydrocarbon oligomers can directly influence their solubility in scCO<sub>2</sub>. Molecular simulation results demonstrate that the interaction distances between the methyl-branch and CO<sub>2</sub> are smaller than those of other molecular fragments. There are approximately 20% more CO<sub>2</sub> molecules interacting with methyl-branch than with other parts. This work sets the stage for our future molecular dynamics study in viscosification by hydrocarbon oligomers with different branching length and interfacial phenomena in multiphase systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19938,"journal":{"name":"Petroleum Science","volume":"22 6","pages":"Pages 2630-2641"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}