Progress and prospects of in-situ modification mining theory and technology
LIANG Weiguo
CHEN Yuedu
Abstract：In-situ modification mining fundamentally redefines the traditional"excavation-and-transportation"mode of underground resource extraction.This innovative approach enhances reservoir permeability and reactivity by injecting physical or chemical fluids into target forma-tions,thereby triggering coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical(THMC)processes.These processes selectively convert valuable solid minerals into extractable fluid phases,offer-ing notable advantages including reduced environmental disturbance,high operational efficien-cy,and improved sustainability.This paper provides a systematic review of the theoretical and technological framework of in-situ modification mining,with particular emphasis on its central scientific challenge:Elucidating the dynamic response of evolving pore-fracture systems under multi-physical field coupling.We establish mathematical models for three representative types of evolving media-those with residual solid skeletons,those without skeletons,and those dom-inated by fracture evolution.These models capture the spatiotemporal evolution of pore-frac-ture networks and clarify their governing role in fluid transport throughout the modification process.At the theoretical level,establishing a multi-scale and multi field coupling model for the evolution of pore fracture media is the core of achieving in-situ modification green and effi-cient mining.At the same time,integrating uncertainty quantification and physical data-driven machine learning methods,and constructing efficient and reliable proxy models,can achieve accurate prediction and intelligent control of the in-situ modification and efficient mining process of deep resources.At the technical application level,three composite modification tech-nology paths have been proposed:Coal seam reservoir volume fracture network construction technology that combines mining pressure relief and key layer fracturing,coal seam interface fracturing and pyrolysis gasification technology,and CCCUS technology for deep coal seam su-percritical CO2 fracturing displacement and biotransformation of CH4.The technological evo-lution from single modification to composite modification is an inevitable choice to break through the bottleneck of efficient and green mining of deep and complex geological conditions in resource reservoirs,and has important guiding significance for promoting the transformation and upgrading of mineral resource development models.
Keywords：in-situ modificationevolving fractured-porous mediumphysical modificationchemical modificationunconventional resource reservoir
Publication Date：2025-11-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-09(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：17( 1206-1222 )