Formation damage remains a key challenge in oil and gas exploration and development, requiring effective prediction and diagnostic technologies to mitigate its impact. Despite decades of research, current techniques lack the accuracy and practicality demanded by modern oilfield operations and the future of intelligent oil and gas development. This study systematically reviews advancements in formation damage prediction and diagnostics, focusing on wellsite diagnosis, experimental methods, imaging techniques, analytical approaches, numerical modeling, and artificial intelligence applications. The advantages and limitations of these methods are analyzed to provide a comprehensive understanding of their capabilities. The paper emphasizes the need for further research to develop an intelligent expert system that integrates multiple damage factors and accounts for spatial–temporal evolution, paving the way for improved future hydrocarbon production and sustainable energy development.
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