The analysis reveals porosity predictions in tight sands, highlighting challenges in unconventional plays.
In recent years, unconventional plays have emerged as a vital component of the global energy landscape, attracting significant economic attention due to their substantial potential for yielding valuable resources (Thakur, 2019), including a diverse range of oils (such as heavy oils, tight oils, and shale oils) and gas (including tight gas and shale gas) (Hongjun et al., 2016). The allure of these resources lies in their vast reserves and potential to meet the increasing demand for energy (Lin, 2016). However, despite the availability of these resources, they have been commercially underexploited in the past due to a multitude of reasons. One of the primary challenges is the complex nature of the geology involved, which often features unconventional trapping methods that are driven by lithology rather than structural factors (Song et al., 2015). This complexity is further compounded by the fact that the field of unconventional exploration is relatively new, and as such, the geological, lithological, and technological advancements are still in the process of being developed and refined (Holditch, 2013). In contrast, conventional plays have been commercially exploited for a longer period, resulting in a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying geology and the development of more effective extraction methods (Campagna, 2012). Another significant challenge is the expensive and challenging extraction methods involved, including stimulation efforts such as fracking and other enhanced oil recovery methods. These procedures require careful planning and execution, thus the planning stage prior to drilling becomes even more critical due to the associated economic risks. Consequently, the financial demands and technical complex nature of production can make it difficult to ensure the economic viability of unconventional play development (Bolonkin et al., 2014).
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Alelew et al. (2025) studied this question.
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