Review and outlook on the application of thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling simulation in in-situ oil shale mining

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.