Electrically-conductive proppant and methods for detecting, locating and characterizing the electrically-conductive proppant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016369163-A1
Application number	US-201615255417-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles and methods for producing such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles from an alumina-containing raw material. Methods for using such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles in hydraulic fracturing operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising:
contacting a plurality of sintered, substantially round and spherical particles with an activation solution comprising palladium and/or salts thereof to provide activated particles comprising reduced palladium, wherein each of the plurality of sintered, substantially round and spherical particles has a specific gravity of less than 4 g/cm 3 and a size of about 100 mesh to about 10 mesh; and contacting the activated particles with an alkaline plating solution comprising one or more electrically-conductive metals to form electrically-conductive proppant particles comprising an outer coating of the electrically-conductive metal of about 100 nm to about 3,500 nm thickness.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintered, substantially round and spherical particles are selected from the group consisting of ceramic proppant, resin-coated ceramic proppant, sand, resin-coated sand, and combinations thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a pack of the electrically-conductive proppant particles has an electrical conductivity of at least about 5 S/m and a long-term fluid conductivity of at least about 100 mD-ft under a closure pressure of about 7,500 psi.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activation solution comprises palladium and/or salt thereof at a concentration of about 0.1 mg/l to about 30 mg/l.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the palladium salt comprises palladium chloride, palladium ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline plating solution is an aqueous solution comprising a nickel salt.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline plating solution further comprises a phosphorous-containing reducing agent.

8 . A method of making electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising:
sintering a plurality of particles comprising oxidized iron to form activated particles comprising reduced iron, wherein each of the activated particles has a specific gravity of less than 4 g/cm 3 and a size of about 100 mesh to about 10 mesh; and contacting the activated particles with an alkaline plating solution comprising one or more electrically-conductive metals to form electrically-conductive proppant particles comprising an outer coating of the electrically-conductive metal of about 100 nm to about 3,500 nm thickness.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the activated particles are green pellets.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a pack of the electrically-conductive proppant particles has an electrical conductivity of at least about 5 S/m and a long-term fluid conductivity of at least about 100 mD-ft under a closure pressure of about 7,500 psi.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the sintering occurs at a temperature of about 1,000° C. to about 1,600° C.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sintering occurs in a reducing environment comprising carbon monoxide or hydrogen.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reduced iron comprises elemental iron, iron (II) or a combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the alkaline plating solution is an aqueous solution comprising a nickel salt and a phosphorous-containing reducing agent.

15 . A method of making electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising:
contacting a plurality of sintered, substantially round and spherical particles with an activation solution comprising a palladium and/or salt thereof to form activated particles comprising reduced palladium, wherein each of the plurality of sintered, substantially round and spherical particles has a specific gravity of less than 4 g/cm 3 and a size of about 100 mesh to about 10 mesh; and contacting the activated particles with an aqueous plating solution comprising a phosphorous-containing reducing agent and a nickel salt to form electrically-conductive proppant particles comprising a nickel-phosphorous alloy outer coating of about 100 nm to about 3,500 nm thickness.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plating solution has a pH from about 2 to about 6.5.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the nickel-phosphorous alloy outer coating comprises about 5 wt % to about 12 wt % phosphorous based on the weight of the nickel-phosphorous alloy coating.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a pack of the electrically-conductive proppant particles has an electrical conductivity of at least about 5 S/m and a long-term fluid conductivity of at least about 100 mD-ft under a closure pressure of about 7,500 psi.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the activation solution has a palladium and/or palladium salt concentration of about 0.1 mg/l to about 30 mg/l.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the palladium salt comprises palladium chloride, palladium ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Carbo Ceramics Inc

Inventors

• Cannan Chad
• Roper Todd
• Savoy Steve
• Mitchell Daniel R

Classifications

• C23C18/50

  with alloys based on iron, cobalt or nickel · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C23C18/1641

  Organic substrates, e.g. resin, plastic · CPC title

• C23C18/36

  using hypophosphites · CPC title

• C23C18/1851

  of surfaces of non-metallic or semiconducting in organic material · CPC title