Novel Advances and Application of Ultrasonic Technology in Oil andGas Industries

In fact, an ultrasonic wave is a sort of mechanical wave which totally creates mechanical, thermal, and electromagnetic effects in the process of propagation in solid media, and cavitation phenomena in the process of propagation in liquid media. Moreover, with appropriate directionality, it is largely applied in auxiliary machining and planetary drilling in oil and gas-layer plug removal and production stimulation. Nowadays, ultrasound method, has remarkably been considered as a recent green technology and received special attention in the petroleum and gas industries. Totally, the physical and chemical effects of the periodic oscillation and implosion of acoustic cavitation bubbles could be utilized to perform a variety of functions. On the other hand, the significant importance, resolution mechanism, current applications and the future advances of ultrasound technologies have been considered. Moreover, the effects of the acoustic parameters on efficiency of treatment, like acoustic intensity, frequency and treatment time are analyzed. In this review, physical and chemical effects of acoustic cavitation and outlook for the industrialization of power ultrasound were discussed. Finally, challenges and perspective for industrial applications of power ultrasound including viscosity reduction, demulsification, enhanced oil recovery, oil sand extraction, rock-breaking (in drilling industry), oily wastewater treatment and oily sludge treatment would be considered.

Keywords:

Ultrasonic Technology , viscosity reduction , Petroleum Exploration , oily sludge treatment