On October 16th, the National Natural Science Foundation of China announced the approval of two key support projects under the Joint Fund Program. The projects are led by Professor Yang Yongfei and Professor Zhao Guang from our college.

  Professor Yang Yongfei's project has been approved as a key support project in the energy and chemical industry field in Chongqing under the Regional Innovation Development Joint Fund. The research direction focuses on Research on the Seepage Mechanism and Intelligent Production Prediction Method of Deep Shale Gas. The project, titled Nonlinear Seepage Mechanism and Intelligent Production Prediction of Deep Shale Gas Reservoirs, is a collaboration between Chongqing University and the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation. The research will concentrate on various aspects of deep shale gas reservoir development, including deep shale gas adsorption-desorption and phase change, digital rock core construction and pore structure characterization, nanoscale pore-fluid coupling seepage simulation, and macroscopic-scale intelligent production prediction of deep shale gas. This project approval marks the first breakthrough of its kind in regions outside Shandong Province under the Regional Innovation Development Joint Fund.

  Professor Zhao Guang's project has been approved as a key support project by China Offshore Oil Group Limited under the Enterprise Innovation Development Joint Fund. The research direction focuses on Construction and Mechanism of Offshore Heavy Oil CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery System. The project, titled Construction and Mechanism of Offshore Heavy Oil CO2 Reaction Thickening Polymer Flooding System, is a collaboration between CNOOC Research Institute Co., Ltd. and Sichuan University. The research will explore CO2 reaction-type polymer flooding system design and controllable synthesis, oil recovery functional characteristics and viscosity response mechanisms, CO2/oil/water/polymer flooding system interface interactions, and carbon dissolution-solidification evolution laws and enhanced CO2 flooding and storage mechanisms. This project aims to innovate and establish theories and technologies for offshore heavy oil CO2 reaction thickening polymer flooding, which is crucial for leading efficient development of offshore heavy oil and contributing to the realization of the national dual carbon goals.

  The National Natural Science Foundation of China, in collaboration with relevant local governments and enterprises, established the Regional Innovation Development Joint Fund and the Enterprise Innovation Development Joint Fund. These two types of funds align closely with the research directions of the university in areas such as environment and ecology, energy and chemical industry, new materials and advanced manufacturing, and petrochemicals. Since 2020, the college has submitted a total of 16 Joint Fund projects and received approval for 5, with a cumulative funding rate of 31.2%. Looking at the coverage of the 2023 guidelines, there is potential to further focus on the contents of the Joint Fund guidelines and expand the application channels.