Well pattern-controlled heat transfer in in-situ oil shale conversion: a review of numerical modeling

As an important alternative to conventional oil and gas resources, oil shale holds significant strategic importance. While in-situ conversion technology has addressed the challenges of deep oil shale mining, heat transfer efficiency remains the core bottleneck for its large-scale application. Through a systematic review of heat transfer simulation studies on oil shale in-situ conversion under well pattern control, this paper fills existing research gaps. It first systematically reviews the current research status of heat transfer during oil shale in-situ conversion, then clarifies the heat transfer mechanisms, and finally elaborates on the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling model and research progress in in-situ extraction under well pattern control. It provides theoretical support for well pattern design and efficient mining in oil shale in-situ conversion projects.