High crush proppants

slightly higher than the relative density of quartz sand, conditions and performance of pumping fracturing fluids are more demanding, more difficult when fracturing, fracture stimulation，but the ball and roundness Ceramisite than quartz sand, and can reach 0.9 or more, particularly resistant resistance, temperature resistance and compressive strength are higher than quartz sand, High crush proppants thus decreasing conductivity fracture is much lower now increasingly widely used oil and gas fields

oil well fracking

the ball is poor, thereby reducing the conductivity of cracks, particularly closure does not apply to high pressure The deep, oil well fracking with a composite resin coated quartz sand particles, the sphericity improved corrosion resistance can achieve higher targets, even if the internal quartz sand is crushed, outside coated resin layer can wrap pieces, keeping the crack diversion capacity, unconventional gas is a development direction proppant, but the current product shelf life is relatively short, the cost is also high, with a variety of different materials and manufacturing process of ceramic

high crush proppants

Oil well high crush proppants construction costs need to spend hundreds of thousands, even hundreds of million, the proportion of the cost of proppant in which accounts are not large, however, the effects of quality proppant fracturing plays a crucial post the role of a direct impact on the net income of oil production.Proppants currently used quartz sand, natural gas fracking and a variety of resin-coated composite particles. Wherein the quartz sand cheapest price, relatively low density, to facilitate the construction of pumping, so it is widely used, but low-intensity quartz sand

Though sand

Though sand is a common proppant, untreated sand is prone to significant fines generation; fines generation is often measured in wt% of initial feed. A commercial newsletter from Momentive cites untreated sand fines production to be 23.9% compared with 8.2% for lightweight ceramic and 0.5% for their product.One way to maintain an ideal mesh size while having sufficient strength is to choose proppants of sufficient strength; sand might be coated with resin,to form CRCS (Curable Resin Coated Sand) or PRCS (Pre-Cured Resin Coated Sands). In certain situations a different ceramic proppant suppliers material might be chosen altogether—popular alternatives include ceramics and sintered bauxite

Proppant weight and strength

Increased strength often comes at a cost of increased density, which in turn demands higher flow rates, viscosities or pressures during fracturing, which translates to increased fracturing costs, both environmentally and economically.Lightweight fracturing proppants conversely are designed to be lighter than sand (~2.5 g/cm3) and thus allow pumping at lower pressures or fluid velocities. Light proppants are less likely to settle. Porous materials can break the strength-density trend, or even afford greater gas permeability. Proppant geometry is also important; ceramic proppant shapes or forms amplify stress on proppant particles making them especially vulnerable to crushing (a sharp discontinuity can classically allow infinite stresses in linear elastic materials)

Proppant deposition and post-treatment behaviours

frac proppant mesh size also affects fracture length: proppants can be "bridged out" if the fracture width decreases to less than twice the size of the diameter of the proppant.As proppants are deposited in a fracture, proppants can resist further fluid flow or the flow of other proppant conductivity, inhibiting further growth of the fracture. In addition, closure stresses (once external fluid pressure is released) may cause proppants to reorganise or "squeeze out" proppants, even if no fines are generated, resulting in smaller effective width of the fracture and decreased permeability. Some companies try to cause weak bonding at rest between proppant particles in order to prevent such reorganisation. The modelling of fluid dynamics and rheology of fracturing fluid and its carried proppants is a subject of active research by the industry

Proppant permeability and mesh size

Proppant used should be permeable or permittive to gas under high pressures; the interstitial space between particles should be sufficiently large, yet have the mechanical strength to withstand closure stresses to hold fractures open after the fracturing pressure is withdrawn. Large mesh proppants have greater permeability than small mesh proppants at low closure stresses, but will mechanically fail and produce very fine particulates at high closure stresses such that smaller-mesh proppants overtake large-mesh hsp proppant in permeability after a certain threshold stress

Frac sand is another type of product used in gas and oil wells

Frac sand is another type of product used in gas and oil wells. As an extremely pure material, this quartz sand is very durable and has rather round grains. It is a crush-resistant material produced mainly to be used in the oil industry. It is used in the hydraulic fracturing process and happens to produce petroleum fluids, such as oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids from rock units that do not have enough space for the fluids to flow and go to a well. Most of the frac sand is a natural and is made from pure sandstone.Although this is made from rather pure sandstone, frac sand needs to be treated in order to be able to deliver the best results possible.The demand for frac sand has increased significantly over the past few years. The most useful frac sand is the one that happens to be resin coated. Resin coated frac sand is usually known as premium frac sand and is usually more expensive than the average untreated frac sand.

The Ceramic Proppant is one of the most well known

The Ceramic Proppant is one of the most well known and also eco-friendly materials made of ceramic such as the sintered bauxite. It carries a much higher fracturing strength which is used with downhole support in order to provide a very efficient conduit for the fluid production from reservoir to wellbore that way adding output to gas and oil companies.This bauxite proppant comes from bauxite mixed with other additives that way the proppant has on its composition aluminium oxide, iron and silicate.It is a round shaped particle that is much better for fracturing of deep oil and also gas stratum with a lot of pressure. The rounder the better when it comes to withstanding higher amounts of pressure. This kind of proppant is also very good to make the conductivity go higher.When compared to other proppants,ceramic has a much smoother texture,higher fracturing hardness;it is acid proof and also alkali proof.

Operators can choose from a wide range of proppants

Operators can choose from a wide range of proppants—ultrahigh performance for the most severe conditions to frac sand—for their completions.Often, we’re asked if there’s a measurable performance difference between resin-coated proppant and resin coated frac sand, especially where closure stress conditions are in the intermediate range between 4,000 psi and 8,000 psi.
During the 60 years since our company was founded, we have documented that resin-coated proppant offers superior performance and increased well net present value in these conditions. Resin coatings, which are continuously quality controlled and tested, are the optimal approach to managing the forces that can reduce
short-term and long-term hydrocarbon production.

improve shale reservoir stimulation treatment by using ultra lightweight proppants in fracturing fluids

The goal of the present work is to improve shale reservoir stimulation treatment by using ultra lightweight proppants in fracturing fluids. Slickwater has become the most popular fracturing fluid for fracturing shales in recent times because it creates long and skinny fractures and it is relatively cheap. The problem with slickwater is the high rate of settling of common proppants, e.g. sand, which results in propped fractures which are much smaller than the original fractures. Use of gels can help in proppant transport but introduce large formation damage by blocking pores in nano-darcy shales. Gel trapping in the proppant pack causes reduction in permeability of the proppant pack. The light weight proppants which can easily be transported by slickwater and at the same time be able to provide enough fracture conductivity may solve this problem. Three ultra light weight proppants (ULW1, ULW2, and ULW3) have been studied. The mechanical properties of the proppant packs as well as single proppants have been measured. Conductivity of proppant packs has been determined as a function of proppant concentration and confining stress at an average Barnett shale temperature of 95℃.

Hydraulic fracturing is used in the oil and gas

Hydraulic fracturing is used in the oil and gas industry to increase the flow of oil and/or gas from a well. The producing formation is fractured open using hydraulic pressure and then proppants (propping agents) are pumped into the oil well with fracturing fluid to hold the fissures open so that the natural gas or crude oil can flow up the well. The proppant size, shape, and mechanical strength influences the integrity of the newly created fractures, and therefore the flow of oil and gas out of the well.

Hydraulic fracturing is a safe, proven and government-regulated technology

Hydraulic fracturing is a safe, proven and government-regulated technology that has been used in Canada for more than 60 years. In hydraulic fracturing, fluids are injected at pressures that exceed the natural stresses on the rock and cause it to crack, or fracture. Creating these fractures in hydrocarbon-bearing rock layers deep underground is not enough to allow oil and gas to flow into the wellbore.Once the fractured reservoir rock is held open with fluid pressure, proppant, usually sand or ceramic proppants, is introduced into the fluid to prop open the fractures. After the hydraulic fracturing process, the fracturing fluids are recovered and the fractures remain held open by proppant. The
hydrocarbons trapped inside the rocks can now flow more easily through the cracks to the wellbore.

Bauxite proppant is an aluminum ore from which most aluminum is extracted.

Ceramic proppants are engineered from either non-metallurgical bauxite or kaolin clay to have relatively high roundness, sphericity and size that can withstand very high levels of downhole pressure.Bauxite proppant is an aluminum ore from which most aluminum is extracted. Kaolin is a mineral clay that also contains aluminum, but not at ore grade levels. Through a process called sintering both materials can achieve superior strength characteristics.

The choice of which proppant to use in a formation depends on many factors.

When the proppant particles settle out of the fracturing fluid that transported them to the fracture, they form a mesh that allows the liberated oil and gas to flow through it on the way to the wellbore.The most common types of proppants are grains of resin coated silica sand and man-made (engineered) ceramic material.The choice of which proppant to use in a formation depends on many factors. Proppants have to deal with high pressures, temperatures and fluids – water (fresh and salt), oil and gas. The classical proppant selection factors are size, shape, strength, and density.

Proppant scaling is a geochemical reaction

Proppant scaling is a geochemical reaction that occurs between an uncoated ceramic proppant pack and the formation in a wet, hot downhole fracture environment. While this reaction normally happens slowly in shallower formations, it accelerates under the higher pressures and temperatures. The result of proppant scaling is a severe loss of proppant pack porosity and permeability as fines and debris are created in the proppant pack. Uncoated lightweight ceramics can lose up to 90% proppant pack permeability in just a few days. Resin coated proppant drastically reduce the impact of downhole proppant scaling, resulting in improved fracture flow capacity and significantly higher long-term productivity.