On the afternoon of September 25, 2025, the Octagonal Hall Auditorium in the East District of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) was filled to capacity as an academic feast focused on cutting-edge developments in the energy sector commenced. Gao Deli, an academician of the CAS, delivered an academic report titled "Unconventional Energy and Mineral Development and Directional Drilling Engineering", offering in-depth insights into technological innovation and future trends in energy development to faculty and students in attendance. This report was chaired by Dean Ning, with a strong academic atmosphere and lively interaction on site.
At the beginning of the report, Dean Ning first introduced Academician Gao Deli. He noted that Academician Gao has long dedicated himself to the fields of oil and gas drilling engineering and oilfield development engineering, and has made outstanding contributions to breakthroughs in key technologies such as directional drilling and unconventional oil and gas development, providing crucial technical support for the green transformation and efficient development of China's energy sector. Dean Ning stated that Academician Gao Deli’s visit will provide a valuable platform for teachers and students to get in touch with the forefront of the industry and expand their academic horizons. He expressed hope that the academician's insights will inspire further reflection on technological and equipment innovation within the resource and energy sector.
Subsequently, Academician Gao Deli formally commenced his presentation, delivering an in-depth exposition centered on three core areas: the current state of energy resource development, efficient factory development models, and innovation in unconventional drilling and production technologies.
In the section on the current state of energy resource development, Academician Gao first outlined the fundamental patterns of global energy consumption and resource distribution, and reviewed the three major eras of global energy development: the coal era, the oil era, and the low-carbon energy era. He emphasized that gradually increasing the share of gaseous energy sources like natural gas is a key pathway to advancing low-carbon energy transformation. At the same time, Academician Gao analyzed the significance of developing unconventional oil and gas resources. He explained that conventional oil and gas resources are characterized by “small reserves, high quality, and ease of extraction,” but as development progresses, extraction techniques become increasingly challenging. In contrast, unconventional oil and gas resources are characterized by “large reserves, lower quality, and difficulty in extraction,” including extremely poor-quality resources such as natural gas hydrates, which require higher costs and more advanced technologies to support their development. However, the success of the North American shale revolution has provided crucial insights for global unconventional oil and gas development. With breakthroughs in horizontal well technology, global shale oil and gas development has accelerated since 2000. In 2022, global shale oil and gas production reached 1.127 billion tons (oil equivalent), accounting for 13.65% of the world's total oil and gas output. Leveraging its technological edge, the United States became a net exporter of natural gas in 2017 and crude oil in 2020, fully demonstrating the immense potential of unconventional energy development.
In the section on efficient factory development models, Academician Gao Deli proposed the innovative concept of "underground well factory". He explained that underground well factories are established for the development of energy mineral deposits, with the basic characteristics of three-dimensional, multifunctional, and multi-well cluster configurations. Unlike traditional surface factories, their design and construction involve multiple key engineering links such as site selection, design, construction, production and use, which is of great significance for the green and efficient development of unconventional energy mines such as shale oil and gas, heavy oil, and deep coal mines. To further illustrate the practical application of factory-based development, Academician Gao introduced the large-displacement well and cluster well development model, which has been widely applied in the efficient and green development of oil and gas fields. In response to the complex surface and geological conditions of the Sichuan Basin in China, Academician Gao proposed a factory-based development plan for cluster horizontal wells, which achieved the goals of land conservation, safety and environmental protection, and cost reduction and efficiency improvement through scientific layout of well locations. In the field of deep coal mining development, he emphasized China's urgent need to explore integrated green development models for deep coal and coalbed methane, and also shared an integrated technical solution combining “geology-drilling-completion-production enhancement” based on complex structural horizontal wells. In addition, Academician Gao also introduced the underground coal gasification technology, which converts coal into gaseous energy by injecting oxygen and steam, providing a new path for the development of deep coal resources.
In the third part of the report, Academician Gao Deli focused on the innovation of unconventional drilling and production technology, systematically sorting out key technological breakthroughs such as directional drilling, downhole electric heating conversion, continuous pipe technology, lateral drilling transformation of branch wells, modern completion and production increase. In the concluding remarks of the report, Academician Gao Deli emphasized that the “dual carbon” goals are of great significance and present formidable challenges, requiring the exploration of pathways for the efficient and green development of energy and critical minerals. Based on the domestic mineral resources situation, the in-situ conversion and green and efficient development and utilization of unconventional energy mineral deposits are of great significance for achieving the "dual carbon" goal and ensuring energy security, with significant economic and social benefits. The advanced underground well factory is its key infrastructure, and it is important to optimize its design and construction. We must advance interdisciplinary research to drive the green and low-carbon transformation of energy through innovation, ensuring energy security and achieving the dual carbon goals.
At the end of the report, Dean Ning summarized the academic sharing. He highly praised Academician Gao Deli's report, noting its combination of academic depth and practical value. He expressed the hope that the teachers and students present could take this report as an opportunity to further explore the innovation path of energy development technology and equipment based on their own research directions, thereby contributing to China's energy green transformation and security guarantee.
During the subsequent Q&A session, teachers and students actively participated in discussions, engaging in in-depth exchanges with Academician Gao Deli on topics such as “drilling technology” and “optimization pathways and technical explorations for pipeline materials in underground well factory construction.” Academician Gao patiently addressed each question and shared his research experience and approach to problem-solving. The interactive session was highly engaging, and teachers and students expressed that the presentation not only enriched their professional knowledge but also ignited a sense of responsibility and mission toward the future development of the energy sector.
The successful hosting of this academic report has provided a high-quality academic exchange platform for our faculty, students, and top experts in the industry, further promoting the dissemination of cutting-edge technologies and equipment research achievements in the field of resources and energy. It is of great significance for promoting integrated research efforts in geology, engineering, and equipment, as well as for fostering the development of related disciplines and cultivating talent.
(Reported by Yan Lin; Reviewed by Ning Fulong and Qu Xianghua)
