Recent research in the field of oil and gas geochemistry has focused on the catalytic role of minerals in geological history. Thermal simulation experiments are considered a valuable means of studying the formation and transformation of hydrocarbons. In this paper, we review the catalytic mechanisms, processes, and various arguments for different types of minerals in thermal simulation experiments from the perspective of mineral additives. We focus on two categories: (1) minerals that provide direct catalysis, such as clay minerals, alkali metals, carbonate rocks, and some transition metal elements, and (2) minerals, such as serpentine, that promote aqueous hydrogen and act as the material basis, as well as the radioactive element uranium. We also discuss existing disputes and prospects for the development direction of mineral catalytic thermal simulation experiments.

Microbial-induced mineralization is a process in which metal ions in the environment are processed by microorganisms, forming deposits of crystals with cementing and void-filling functions. Cementing crystals can fix metal ions, reduce permeability, improve soil strength, and play a positive role in soil remediation and pollution control. This paper first introduces the principle of microbial-induced mineralization and analyzes its mechanism of action in the treatment of soil organic and inorganic pollutants. Then, the mineralization principle of different types of mineralized bacteria in soil (fungal metabolism involving organic acid complexation and metabolic urease catalysis, sulfur oxidation by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, dissimilatory sulfate reduction by sulfate-reducing bacteria, ammonification by ammoniating bacteria, reverse digestion by denitrifying bacteria, urease catalysis by urease-producing bacteria, acetic acid fermentation by methanogenic bacteria, and H₂/CO₂ reduction) is elaborated, the influencing factors in the treatment of soil pollutants by mineralization technology in practical application are analyzed, and the current status of mineralization treatment for different types of pollutants is summarized. Finally, the future prospects of soil pollutant treatment are outlined to promote research into microbial-induced mineralization technology for the treatment of soil pollutants.

Summary: Carbonate rocks play a crucial role in the Earth’s carbon cycle and host most hydrocarbon reservoirs, yet conventional models predominantly attribute their formation to abiotic crystallization processes. Emerging evidence suggested organic-mediated nonclassical crystallization (NCC) pathways significantly influence carbonate mineralization. However, the mechanisms linking organic-mineral interactions to hydrocarbon generation are still unclear. Combining laboratory syntheses of microbial-induced spherulitic calcite with pyrolysis molecular profiling [pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS)] and reactive force field (ReaxFF) simulations, we demonstrate that carboxyl-rich organic phases form coordination bonds within calcite lattices, fundamentally altering recrystallization energetics. Pyrolysis experiments reveal that significant quantities of hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide (CO2) are liberated at 200°C. Notably, the release temperature of organic compounds bound within carbonate mineral matrices is substantially lower than the decomposition temperature of pure carbonate minerals. We propose a hydrocarbon-generating recrystallization mechanism where organo-calcite coordination bonds enable concurrent diagenetic changes and petroleum generation. This framework changes our understanding of source rock types, showing that many carbonate sequences thought to be inert actually have hydrocarbon generation potential. This encompasses end-member carbonate lithologies exhibiting ultralow total organic carbon (TOC) contents and lacking petrographically detectable kerogen. The recognition of subsurface NCC processes necessitates revision of petroleum system models to incorporate organic-inorganic coevolution during burial metamorphism, with implications for resource exploration and carbon cycling in sedimentary basins.

To mitigate clay hydration and wellbore instability during deepwater drilling, a pH/temperature dual-responsive graft copolymer, hyperbranched polyethylenimine-g-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (HPEI-g-PDMAEMA), was designed and synthesized via free radical polymerization. Optimized synthesis at an HPEI/DMAEMA mass ratio of 1:2 with 2.4% AIBN at 70 °C for 10 h yielded a grafting ratio of 35.2% and a molecular weight of 84.3 kDa. The copolymer exhibits a tunable lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of approximately 48 °C at pH 8, decreasing with increasing pH due to tertiary amine deprotonation. Zeta potential measurements confirm that the polymer retains a positive charge (+5 mV at pH 8) under weakly alkaline conditions, enabling strong electrostatic anchoring onto negatively charged clay surfaces. Above the LCST, dynamic light scattering reveals a sharp increase in hydrodynamic diameter from ~30 nm to >200 nm, confirming a hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic transition of PDMAEMA segments that drives the formation of a hydrophobically associated gel barrier. This thermally triggered gelation is fully reversible, as evidenced by repeated heating–cooling cycles with almost complete transmittance recovery. The gel barrier drastically reduces water uptake, with inhibition performance against clay swelling at 60 °C being 18.5 percentage points higher than that at 25 °C. Hot-rolling tests demonstrate that with only 1.5 wt% inhibitor, shale recovery reaches 94.1% at 150 °C (8.8 percentage points higher than unmodified HPEI) and remains above 60% even in 20 wt% CaCl₂ or MgCl₂ brines, highlighting exceptional resistance to divalent cations. Water contact angle on treated clay surfaces increases from 18.5° to 52.6°, confirming effective surface hydrophobization. This work provides a molecular-level gel-engineering strategy where pH governs electrostatic anchoring and temperature triggers reversible hydrophobic gelation, enabling on-demand switching of clay wettability and hydration resistance under high-temperature, high-salinity conditions.