Due to the lack of clear understanding of downhole information, downhole complex situations occur frequently in the process of drilling and development during petroleum exploration in deep water and deep formations. In recent years, the rise of big data, data mining, machine learning, and other methods, as well as the continuous improvement of new mathematical models and methods, have brought new opportunities for the safety and efficiency of petroleum engineering. How to use these new mathematical methods and models to solve the current problems and challenges of petroleum engineering is still a challenge.

Traditional methods and models play an important role in conventional petroleum engineering, but for the exploration and development of deep-water and deep formations, the traditional empirical and deterministic methods do not fully meet the actual needs. Currently, petroleum engineering is a systematic project with multiple data sources, complex processes, and great uncertainty of underground information and conditions. How to use multi-source data effectively by building reliable mathematical models or methods, so as to accurately predict the formation and construction status and control the engineering construction, is the current challenge.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to improve the safety and efficiency of petroleum engineering by introducing new methods such as big data, data mining, and machine learning, or innovating mathematical models/methods aiming to solve the problems and challenges faced by oil exploration and development in deep water and deep formations. Original research and review articles are welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Applications of big data, data mining, machine learning, and other new methods in petroleum engineering
• Application of innovative models in petroleum engineering
• Mathematical methods and innovative research in drilling engineering
• Mathematical methods and innovation research in oil and gas field development engineering
• Mathematical problems in deep oil and gas exploration and development
• Mathematical problems in deep-water oil and gas exploration and development
• Mathematical problems in unconventional oil and gas exploration and development