Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in carbonate and siliceous formations presents a promising solution for managing intermittent renewable energy. However, experimental data on hydrogen–rock interactions under representative subsurface conditions remain limited. This study systematically investigates mineralogical and petrophysical alterations in dolomite, calcite-rich limestone, and quartz-dominant siliceous cores subjected to high-pressure hydrogen (100 bar, 70 °C, 100 days). Distinct from prior research focused on diffraction peak shifts, our analysis prioritizes quantitative changes in mineral concentration (%) as a direct metric of reactivity and structural integrity, offering more robust insights into long-term storage viability. Hydrogen exposure induced significant dolomite dissolution, evidenced by reduced crystalline content (from 12.20% to 10.53%) and accessory phase loss, indicative of partial decarbonation and ankerite-like formation via cation exchange. Conversely, limestone exhibited more pronounced carbonate reduction (vaterite from 6.05% to 4.82% and calcite from 2.35% to 0%), signaling high reactivity, mineral instability, and potential pore clogging from secondary precipitation. In contrast, quartz-rich cores demonstrated exceptional chemical inertness, maintaining consistent mineral concentrations. Furthermore, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) pore distribution analyses revealed enhanced porosity and permeability in dolomite (pore volume increased >10×), while calcite showed declining properties and quartz showed negligible changes. SEM-EDS supported these trends, detailing Fe migration and textural evolution in dolomite, microfissuring in calcite, and structural preservation in quartz. This research establishes a unique experimental framework for understanding hydrogen–rock interactions under reservoir-relevant conditions. It provides crucial insights into mineralogical compatibility and structural resilience for UHS, identifying dolomite as a highly promising host and highlighting calcitic rocks’ limitations for long-term hydrogen containment.

Successful petroleum drilling largely depends on the type and quality of mud used in the process. There exist many types of muds, which differ in use and composition. Certain muds are composed of materials that can cause damage to the formation and the bottom-hole. This has resulted in the search for alternatives mud additives or addition of new materials to minimize the damage of the formation and enhance the stability of the wellbore. Several bodies of literature exist that research different sources of mud functions and additives, also their effect on the drilling process, the production zone and the environment. Density is one of the main properties of drilling mud because it is the responsible in controlling the formations pressure. So, many weighting agents exist to increase the density of drilling mud. Barite (BaSO4) has a specific gravity of 4.2–4.5 and hardness 2.5-3.5. It has been the most common weight material used in drilling fluids, it is preferred to other weighting materials because of its low cost and high purity but its main disadvantage that its composed of large amount of insoluble acid which damage the formation due to the invasion of the solids into the production zone. A new weighting agent that can be used instead of barite would be a new innovation in the oil field. Siderite (FeCO3) is a weighting material which has a specific gravity of 3.9 and a hardness of 3.5 and makes the mud weighted up to 20 lb/gal. It is specified by a high acid solubility which didn’t cause damage to the formation compared to barite. So, it can be used as an alternative weighting material in both oil and water muds due to its high specific gravity and high acid solubility.

At present, environmental legislation bounds the drilling operators in drilling wastes removal. The rapid increasing sensitivity of drilling waste management forced many countries to develop environmental guidelines for their drilling operations. This research studies some sorts of waste produced during upstream petroleum activities, particularly while drilling. After that, many hazards and impacts on the environment are addressed, as well as their principal treatment techniques. This paper gives a modest and theoretical vision over the present environmental standard and waste management design, realized at a universal scale. Studies show that performance fluid management and total fluid management are highly recommended in drilling waste management, taken into consideration the reduction, reuse, recycle, recover, and finally disposal of waste. Then, the technologies that could be suitable for the Lebanese drilling fields would be addressed. Experience proves that techniques and standards of drilling waste management depend highly on climate and sources soil. This research highlights foreign, specialized and suitable regulations for the Lebanese petroleum industry and advises to apply strict punishments that force companies to consider environmental issues. This may assist companies and individual approaches toward coming drilling operations in Lebanon with a concern for the environment.

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in carbonate and siliceous formations presents a promising solution for managing intermittent renewable energy. However, experimental data on hydrogen-rock interactions under representative subsurface conditions remains limited. This study systematically investigates mineralogical and petrophysical altera-tions in dolomite, calcite-rich limestone, and quartz-dominant siliceous cores subjected to high-pressure hydrogen (100 bar, 70°C, 100 days). Distinct from prior research focused on diffraction peak shifts, our analysis prioritizes quantitative changes in mineral concentra-tion (%) as a direct metric of reactivity and structural integrity, offering more robust in-sights into long-term storage viability. Hydrogen exposure induced significant dolomite dissolution, evidenced by reduced crys-talline content (from 12.20% to 10.53%) and accessory phase loss, indicative of partial de-carbonation and ankerite-like formation via cation exchange. Conversely, limestone ex-hibited more pronounced carbonate reduction (vaterite from 6.05% to 4.82% and calcite from 2.35% to 0%), signaling high reactivity, mineral instability, and potential pore clog-ging from secondary precipitation. In contrast, quartz-rich cores demonstrated exceptional chemical inertness, maintaining consistent mineral concentrations. Furthermore, BET and BJH analyses revealed enhanced porosity and permeability in do-lomite (pore volume increased >10x), while calcite showed declining properties and quartz negligible changes. SEM-EDS supported these trends, detailing Fe migration and textural evolution in dolomite, microfissuring in calcite, and structural preservation in quartz. This research establishes a unique experimental framework for understanding hydrogen–rock interactions under reservoir-relevant conditions. It provides crucial insights into mineralogical compatibility and structural resilience for UHS, identifying dolomite as a highly promising host and highlighting calcitic rocks limitations for long-term hydrogen containment.