Against the backdrop of surging global energy demand, oil shale, as a plentiful unconventional energy resource, has emerged as a research hotspot for in-situ exploitation. Oil shale pyrolysis involves temperature, seepage, and stress field coupling, leading to surface deformation and fracture propagation that affect mining efficiency. Thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling simulation can effectively reveal multi-physical field interaction mechanisms in reservoirs and offer theoretical support for optimizing mining processes. This paper reviews its application in in-situ oil shale mining, summarizes coupling theories and mathematical models, and analyzes its value in heat injection mining, effective pyrolysis zone prediction, and ground surface deformation analysis. It also summarizes key applications and prospects for future directions, and provides theoretical and technical references for optimizing in-situ oil shale mining, thereby laying a foundation for subsequent thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical research.
1. Wang, L., Gao, C.-H., Xiong, R.-Y., Zhang, X.-J., Guo, J.-X. Development review and the prospect of oil shale in-situ catalysis conversion technology. Petroleum Science, 2024, 21(2), 1385–1395.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petsci.2023.08.035
2. Mohr, S. H., Wang, J., Ellem, G., Ward, J., Giurco, D. Projection of world fossil fuels by country. Fuel, 2015, 141, 120–135.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2014.10.030
3. Ma, L., Yin, X. Y., Sun, H., Fu, B. S. Present status of oil shale resource utilization in the world and its development prospects. Global Geology, 2012, 31(4), 772–777.
4. Aurela, M., Mylläri, F., Konist, A., Saarikoski, S., Olin, M., Simonen, P. et al. Chemical and physical characterization of oil shale combustion emissions in Estonia. Atmospheric Environment: X, 2021, 12, 100139.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeaoa.2021.100139
5. Chen, B., Li, Y. L., Yuan, M. X., Shen, J., Wang, S., Tong, J. H. et al. Study of the co-pyrolysis characteristics of oil shale with wheat straw based on the hierarchical collection. Energy, 2022, 239, 122144.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.122144
6. Kang, W.-L., Zhou, B.-B., Issakhov, M., Gabdullin, M. Advances in enhanced oil recovery technologies for low permeability reservoirs. Petroleum Science, 2022, 19(4), 1622–1640.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petsci.2022.06.010
7. Li, L. L., Zhang, F. Q. Current situation and suggestion of oil shale in-situ exploitation technology. Chemical Engineer, 2023, 37(8), 71–75.
https://doi.org/10.16247/j.cnki.23-1171/tq.20230871
8. Geng, Y. D., Liang, W. G., Liu, J., Cao, M. T., Kang, Z. Q. Evolution of pore and fracture structure of oil shale under high temperature and high pressure. Energy & Fuels, 2017, 31(10), 10404–10413.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b01071
9. Yang, D., Wang, L., Zhao, Y. S., Kang, Z. Q. Investigating pilot test of oil shale pyrolysis and oil and gas upgrading by water vapor injection. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021, 196, 108101.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2020.108101
10. Wang, L., Yang, D., Kang, Z. Q. Evolution of permeability and mesostructure of oil shale exposed to high-temperature water vapor. Fuel, 2021, 290, 119786.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.119786
11. Gao, C., Su, J. Z., Wang, Y. W., Meng, X. L., Wang, Y. Research progress of numerical simulation on oil shale in-situ production. Oil Drilling & Production Technology, 2018, 40(3), 330–335.
https://doi.org/10.13639/j.odpt.2018.03.010
12. Wang, G. Y., Yang, D., Kang, Z. Q., Lv, Y. Q. Numerical study of in-situ injecting superheated steam thermal recovery of transversely isotropic oil shale reservoir. Taiyuan University of Technology, 2020, 51(1), 81–90.
13. Song, J. C., Fan, X. Y., Liu, J. J., Yin, G. Q., Zhang, X. L., Wang, Z. M. A review on thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling theory in the development of oil and gas reservoir. Natural Gas and Oil, 2022, 40(1), 64–71.
https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1006-5539.2022.01.010
14. Terzaghi, K. Theoretical Soil Mechanics. 1943. Wiley, New York.
15. Biot, M. A. Theory of elasticity and consolidation for a porous anisotropic solid. Journal of Applied Physics, 1955, 26(2), 182–185.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1721956
16. Biot, M. A. Theory of deformation of a porous viscoelastic anisotropic solid. Journal of Applied Physics, 1956, 27(5), 459–467.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1722402
17. Rice, J. R., Cleary, M. P. Some basic stress diffusion solutions for fluid-saturated elastic porous media with compressible constituents. Reviews of Geophysics, 1976, 14(2), 227–241.
https://doi.org/10.1029/RG014i002p00227
18. Zienkiewicz, O. C., Shiomi, T. Dynamic behaviour of saturated porous media; the generalized Biot formulation and its numerical solution. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 1984, 8(1), 71–96.
https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.1610080106
19. Bear, J., Corapcioglu, M. Y. A mathematical model for consolidation in a thermo-elastic aquifer due to hot water injection or pumping. Water Resources Research, 1981, 17(3), 723–736.
https://doi.org/10.1029/WR017i003p00723
20. Lewis, R. W., Roberts, P. J., Schrefler, B. A. Finite element modelling of two-phase heat and fluid flow in deforming porous media. Transport in Porous Media, 1989, 4, 319–334.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165778
21. Jing, L., Tsang, C.-F., Stephansson, O. DECOVALEX – an international co-operative research project on mathematical models of coupled THM processes for safety analysis of radioactive waste repositories. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 1995, 32(5), 389–398.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(95)00031-B
22. Gutierrez, M., Makurat, A. Coupled HTM modelling of cold water injection in fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 1997, 34(3–4), 113.e1–113.e15.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(97)00140-8
23. Chai, J. R. Continuum model for coupled seepage, stress and temperature fields in rock mass. Hongshui River, 2003, 22(2), 18–20.
24. Kang, Z. Q. The Pyrolysis Characteristics and In-situ Hot Drive Simulation Research that Exploit Oil-gas of Oil Shale. PhD thesis. Taiyuan University of Technology, China, 2008.
25. Zhao, L. M. Properties of Oil Shale In-situ Pyrolysis and Coupling Process of Underground Coal Gasification. PhD thesis. China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China, 2013.
26. Wang, G. Y. Evolution of anisotropic thermophysical, hydraulic, mechanical characteristics under high temperature and its application. MS thesis. Taiyuan University of Technology, China, 2019.
27. Jin, J., Jiang, W. D., Liu, J. D., Shi, J. F., Zhang, X. W., Cheng, W. et al. Numerical analysis of in situ conversion process of oil shale formation based on thermo-hydro-chemical coupled modelling. Energies, 2023, 16(5), 2103.
https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052103
28. Huang, H. W., Yu, H., Xu, W. L., Lyu, C. S., Micheal, M., Xu, H. Y. et al. A coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical model for production performance of oil shale reservoirs during in-situ conversion process. Energy, 2023, 268, 126700.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.126700
29. Zamani, M. Z., Dong, Y., Samadi, F., Kamran, A., Khan, Z., Hussain, S. Flow-solid-thermal-chemical coupling model for in-situ extraction of oil shale using high-temperature supercritical CO2. Open Access Library Journal, 2024, 11, e11951.
https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1111951
30. Chen, Z. J., Song, S. Y., Zhang, W., Mei, S. D., Zhang, S. Investigation of thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling model for in-situ transformation of oil shale considering pore structure and anisotropy. Engineering Geology, 2025, 344, 107859.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107859
31. Sun, D. W., Wang, L., Lu, Y., Yang, D., Huang, X. D., Kang, Z. Q. Three-dimensional pore structure reconstruction of heterogeneous rocks using DC-SRGAN: a case study on pore evolution in oil shale under thermal stimulation. Energy, 2025, 337, 138641.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2025.138641
32. Wang, Z. M. Reservoir Fluid-Solid-Heat Coupling Model Research and Preliminary Application. PhD thesis. Southwest Petroleum Institute, China, 2002.
33. Wang, Z. M., Du, Z. M. Finite element method for fluid-solid-heat coupling seepage problem in reservoir. Journal of Southwest Petroleum Institute, 2002, 2, 28–30, 3.
34. Li, Y., Lin, M., Zhang, S. B. Numerical model of thermal-hydrological-mechanical coupling and its application. Chinese Journal of Hydrodynamics, 2015, 30(1), 56–63.
35. Kang, Z. Q., Zhao, Y. S., Yang, D., Tian, L. J., Li, X. A pilot investigation of pyrolysis from oil and gas extraction from oil shale by in-situ superheated steam injection. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2020, 186, 106785.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2019.106785
36. Liu, Z. J. Temperature Dependence of Evolution of Pore Structure and Permeability Characteristics of Oil Shale. PhD thesis. Taiyuan University of Technology, China, 2018.
37. Wang, L., Zhao, Y. S., Yang, D. Investigation on meso-characteristics of in-situ pyrolysis of oil shale by injecting steam. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, 2020, 39(8), 1634–1647.
38. Wang, G. Y., Yang, D., Kang, Z. Q., Zhao, J., Lv, Y. Q. Numerical investigation of the in situ oil shale pyrolysis process by superheated steam considering the anisotropy of the thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical characteristics of oil shale. Energy & Fuels, 2019, 33(12), 12236–12250.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b02883
39. Wang, L., Yang, D., Zhao, J., Zhao, Y. S., Kang, Z. Q. Changes in oil shale characteristics during simulated in-situ pyrolysis in superheated steam. Oil Shale, 2018, 35(3), 230–241.
https://doi.org/10.3176/oil.2018.3.03
40. Saif, T., Lin, Q., Bijeljic, B., Blunt, M. J. Microstructural imaging and characterization of oil shale before and after pyrolysis. Fuel, 2017, 197, 562–574.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2017.02.030
41. Saif, T., Lin, Q., Singh, K., Bijeljic, B., Blunt, M. J. Dynamic imaging of oil shale pyrolysis using synchrotron X–ray microtomography. Geophysical Research Letters, 2016, 43(13), 6799–6807.
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069279
42. Tang, J. P., Yu, H. H., Zhang, X., Cui, H. B. Analysis on variation of effective pyrolysis zones in reservoir by in-situ heat injection production of oil shale. Chinese Journal of Computational Mechanics, 2023, 40(3), 440–446.
https://doi.org/10.7511/jslx20211030001
43. Yu, H. H., Tang, J. P., Zhang, X., Ren, L., Zhang, X. Analysis of effective pyrolysis zone and heat loss in oil shale reservoir with random fractures. ACS Omega, 2023, 8(48), 45687–45699.
44. Huang, X. Numerical Simulation Study on Deformation Law of Deep Roadway Surrounding Rock Under Multi-field Coupling Effect. Master’s thesis. Henan Polytechnic University, China, 2014.
45. Lee, K. J., Moridis, G. J., Ehlig-Economides, C. A. In situ upgrading of oil shale by Steamfrac in multistage transverse fractured horizontal well system. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2016, 38(20), 3034–3041.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2015.1135209
46. Lee, K. J., Moridis, G. J., Ehlig-Economides, C. A. Compositional simulation of hydrocarbon recovery from oil shale reservoirs with diverse initial saturations of fluid phases by various thermal processes. Energy Exploration & Exploitation, 2017, 35(2), 172–193.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0144598716684307
47. Jia, Y. C., Huang, X. D., Yang, D., Sun, D. W., Luo, C. Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in oil shale: investigating permeability and heat transfer under high-temperature steam injection. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 2024, 61, 104862.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2024.104862
48. Qiu, S. W. Experimental Study on the Impacts of Oil Shale In-situ Pyrolysis on Groundwater Hydrochemical Characteristics. PhD thesis. Jilin University, China, 2016.
49. Zhao, J. M., Cao, D. F., Liu, Y. M., Xing, S. F. Fluid-thermal-solid coupling simulation of oil shale in-situ pyrolysis by horizontal well pattern. Science Technology and Industry, 2022, 22(1), 329–337.
50. Zhang, S., Song, S. Y., Zhang, W., Zhao, J. M., Cao, D. F., Ma, W. L. et al. Research on the inherent mechanism of rock mass deformation of oil shale in-situ mining under the condition of thermal-fluid-solid coupling. Energy, 2023, 280, 128149.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.128149
51. Hu, Y. Study on Spatiotemporal Evolution of Surface Deformation during In-situ Exploitation of Oil Shale. Master’s thesis. Jilin University, China, 2023.
52. Song, S. Y., Mei, S. D., Hu, Y., Li, Q., Chen, Z. J., Zhang, S. Research on the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling simulation and deformation spatiotemporal evolution for the entire process of oil shale in-situ mining. Engineering Geology, 2024, 339, 107643.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107643
