High-efficiency rock-breaking is a problem that has long been studied in the oil- and gas-drilling industry. The successful use of ultrasonic technology in related fields has prompted us to study how to introduce ultrasonic technology into rock-breaking in oil and gas drilling. This paper introduces and discusses the successful cases of ultrasonic breaking technology in related fields, summarizes the three basic forms of ultrasonic action on rocks, namely, resonance, impact and cavitation, expounds the factors and laws that affect ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking, and summarizes the research results reported in recent years. It is believed that, at present, the application of ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking technology in the oil- and gas-drilling industry still faces some problems and challenges: first, the downhole high-temperature and high-pressure conditions will affect the effect of ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking, and the related mechanisms and research are not clear; second, the impact of circulating media on ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking is not clear; third, the problem of ultrasonic propagation and utilization in the downhole has not been well-solved; fourth, the stability of drilling tools and circulating media caused by high-frequency characteristics has not been well-solved. Therefore, it is suggested to increase research on the mechanism of ultrasonic-assisted rock-breaking with oil- and gas-drilling characteristics and the transmission and utilization of downhole ultrasonic energy in the future, and increase the development of supporting products to support the application of this technology in the oil and gas industry.

Coiled tubing (CT) is widely used in drilling, workover, completion, fracturing and stimulation in the field of oil and gas exploration and development. During CT operation, the tubing will present a gas–liquid two-phase flow state. The prediction of frictional pressure drop for fluid in the tube is an important part of hydraulic design, and its accuracy directly affects the success of the CT technique. In this study, we analyzed the effects of the gas void fraction, curvature ratio and fluid inlet velocity on frictional pressure drop in CT, numerically. Experimental data verified simulated results. Flow friction sensitivity analysis shows the frictional pressure drop reaches its peak at a gas void fraction of 0.8. The frictional pressure gradient increases with the increase in curvature ratio. As the strength of secondary flow increases with the increase in inlet velocity, the increased trend of gas–liquid two-phase flow friction is aggravated. The correlation of friction factor for gas–liquid two-phase flow in coiled tubing is developed by regression analysis of simulation results. The research results can support high quality CT hydraulics design, through which the success of CT operations can be guaranteed.

Coiled tubing (CT) is widely used for horizontal well fracturing, squeeze cementing, and sand and solid washing in the oil and gas industry. During CT operation, a gas–liquid two-phase flow state appears in the tubing. Due to the secondary flow, this state produces a more extensive flow-friction pressure loss, which limits its application. It is crucial to understand the gas–liquid flow behavior in a spiral tube for frictional pressure drop predictions in the CT technique. In this study, we numerically investigated the velocity distribution and phase distribution of a gas–liquid flow in CT. A comparison of experimental data and simulated results show that the maximum average error is 2.14%, verifying the accuracy of the numerical model. The gas and liquid velocities decrease first and then rise along the axial direction due to the effect of gravity. Due to the difference in the gas and liquid viscosity, i.e., the flow resistance of the gas and liquid is different, the gas–liquid slip velocity ratio is always greater than 1. The liquid velocity exhibits a D-shaped step distribution at different cross-sections of spiral tubing. The secondary-flow intensity, caused by radial velocity, increases along the tubing. Due to the secondary-flow effect, the zone of the maximum cross-section velocity is off-center and closer to the outside of the tube. However, under the combined action of centrifugal force and the density difference between gas and liquid, the variation in the gas void fraction along the tubing is relatively stable. These research results are helpful in understanding the complex flow behavior of gas–liquid two-phase flow in CT.

Following hydraulic fracturing operations within shale reservoirs, there frequently exists a considerable volume of residual oil that remains encapsulated within the matrix, thereby impeding the singular shale well’s productivity from attaining projected yields. In pursuit of augmenting the recovery efficiency of shale oil, the industry has widely adopted a post-fracture shut-in strategy within shale oil wells. This methodology is predicated on the aspiration to escalate both the production output and the recovery factor of the oil well by leveraging the imbibition and displacement mechanisms of the fracturing fluid throughout the shut-in interval. There are many kinds of surfactants, and how to select surfactants suitable for shale reservoirs from these many surfactants has become a key issue in improving shale reservoir recovery. In this study, a new surfactant screening method for improving imbibition recovery in shale reservoirs is proposed. An interfacial tension test, contact angle test, and anti-adsorption test are carried out for the collected surfactant products, and the interfacial tension, contact angle, and anti-adsorption are gradually used as indicators. The type of surfactant is initially screened. On this basis, the static imbibition experiment of shale is made to determine the type and concentration of surfactants suitable for shale oil development. The results show that the surfactants screened by this method have the characteristics of decreasing oil–water interfacial tension, varying rock wettability, and strong anti-adsorption, which can effectively improve imbibition efficiency. The study results herein can provide technical support for optimizing shale oil surfactants and provide a new idea for improving oil exploitation in low-permeability reservoirs.