Horizontal wells can improve oil displacement efficiency by providing a larger contact area with the formation, systematic studies

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated research gap and stated challenges and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2025 and 2026, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 37 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Application of Polymers in Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids: A Review (2025) · Polymers · cited 18× · doi

  The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of how to design and prepare effective fracturing fluids tailored to a wide range of operational scenarios, - It also highlights the need to minimize formation damage caused by polymers, - The paper notes that prior work has focused on the use of polymers in drilling fluids, but there is a need for a review of their use in hydraulic fracturing fluids.

  generalstated research gap
  Keywords: paper identifies gap understanding design prepare effective fracturing
• Application of Polymers in Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids: A Review (2025) · Polymers · cited 18× · doi

  The paper identifies the challenge of minimizing formation damage caused by polymers, - It notes that the viscosity of fracturing fluids must be broken after fracking to avoid formation damage, - The paper also highlights the challenge of selecting a robust, cost-effective polymer, - It discusses the need to balance the properties of polymers, such as their viscosity, thermal stability, and water solubility.

  generalstated challenges
  Keywords: paper identifies challenge minimizing formation damage caused polymers
• Imbibition and Oil Drainage Mechanisms of Nanoparticle Compound Polymer Fracturing Fluids (2026) · Gels · cited 1× · doi

  The paper identifies the challenge of understanding the imbibition and oil displacement mechanisms of nanoparticle composite polymer fracturing fluid in low-permeability reservoirs. It also mentions the difficulty of evaluating the fluid's properties and its performance in hydraulic fracturing. The study highlights the need to overcome the challenges of low interfacial tension and high seepage resistance of oil droplets in low-permeability reservoirs.

  generalstated challenges
  Keywords: paper identifies challenge understanding imbibition oil displacement mechanisms
• Oil Displacement Behavior of Polymer Flooding in Horizontal Well Patterns: Experimental and Numerical Simulation Approaches (2026) · Reservoir Science · doi

  Although horizontal wells can improve oil displacement efficiency by providing a larger contact area with the formation, systematic studies on the displacement behavior and key influencing factors of polymer flooding in opposed horizontal wells are still lacking.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: horizontal wells displacement improve efficiency providing larger contact area formation systematic behavior influencing factors polymer

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