Shale oil and gas development is shifting from single stimulation methods toward integrated recovery strategies that combine flow-mechanism understanding, enhanced oil recovery, and carbon utilization and storage. Based on the discussions in Session “Shale Oil and Gas Flow Mechanisms and Enhanced Oil Recovery” of the second “International Geo-Energy Frontier Forum”, this work summarizes recent advances in thermally assisted CO₂ huff-n-puff, supercritical CO₂ flow and multiscale CO₂ foam simulation, in-situ upgrading and thermal conversion, micro/nanobubble injection, dual geological-engineering sweet-spot identification, and shut-in optimization. The major bottleneck is no longer the lack of individual stimulation methods, but the insufficient integration among pore-scale mechanisms, fracture-matrix interactions, field-scale simulation, and carbon storage accounting. Future research should focus on mechanism-informed pilot design, lithology-specific upscaling models, CO₂-thermal-chemical coupled processes, and standardized evaluation workflows linking recovery efficiency with carbon sequestration performance.

High heat loss, substantial energy consumption, considerable CO₂ emission and low thermal utilization efficiency are main challenges in the thermal-based production methods applied in high viscous oil reservoir. To address these limitations while achieving both high oil recovery and reduced carbon footprint, this perspective systematically investigates an enhanced high viscous oil recovery method that integrates in-situ pyrolysis with downhole electric heater. Laboratory experiments and field applications demonstrate that this novel technology offers multiple advantages over conventional thermal-based methods, such as higher thermal utilization efficiency, lower carbon emissions and reduced energy consumption. In this novel technology, with high temperature in the reservoir, inducing pyrolysis and cracking reactions in high viscous oil, significantly reducing oil viscosity and enhancing oil recovery factor. Thereby, this novel method presents a viable, low-carbon, and efficient pathway for future development of high viscous oil resources.

This paper investigates the influence of reaction atmosphere and operation parameters of the lightening process under high temperature and high pressure on high-viscosity shale oil using an experimental approach. Two types of experiments were implemented, one involving a thermogravimetric analyzer and another using an autoclave to carry out the lightening process. By these two kinds of experiments, the effects of reaction atmosphere and operation parameters on the lightening efficiency were clarified. As for the reaction atmosphere, the effects of CO₂, N₂ and air were separately evaluated. As for the operation parameters, the effects of heating rate and formation rock were investigated. The results indicate that under a CO₂ atmosphere, the lightening reaction is more intense than that under the other two gas phases, and it gains the highest reaction rate. Part of the minerals in the formation rock can be treated as catalyst in the shale oil lightening process. With the formation rock being present, the reaction rate increases significantly and higher contents of light components are obtained in both the lightened shale oil and gas phase. For the kinetic parameters in the lightening process, proportional relationships between the kinetic parameters and heating rates under CO₂ atmosphere with and without formation rock were identified. The findings of this study can provide guidance for enhancing high-viscosity shale oil using an in-situ lightening process.

To meet the growing energy demand and ensure national energy security, improving the recovery rate of developed oil fields and tapping into their remaining oil potential have become important ways to stabilize crude oil production. Given the constraints posed by the intricate nature of reservoir formation conditions and the properties of crude oil, including high viscosity, significant heterogeneity, and low permeability, certain techniques find it challenging to be effectively utilized. In view of this, this article introduces enhance heavy oil recovery by in-situ generated foamy oil, foam flooding in deep fractured vuggy reservoirs, and a new CO₂ responsive fracturing foam fluid, respectively. These results can provide constructive conclusions and suggestions for the study of theories and methods of enhanced oil recovery by gas and foam injection in complex reservoirs.