Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670400-B2
Application number	US-201414502483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2011
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A proppant particle, comprising:
a sintered ceramic material;
a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh ;
an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns; and
a surface roughness of less than about 4 microns.

2. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein the sintered ceramic material comprises kaolin.

3. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particle consists essentially of the sintered ceramic material.

4. The proppant particle of claim 3 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered alumina.

5. The proppant particle of claim 3 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered kaolin.

6. The proppant particle of claim 3 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered bauxite.

7. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein impinging a plurality of the proppant particle under a gas-entrained velocity of about 260 m/s onto a flat mild steel target results in an erosivity of the target of about 1 mg/kg to about 100 mg/kg.

8. The proppant particle of claim 1 , further comprising a surface roughness of less than about 3 microns.

9. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particle has a long-term permeability greater than 130 darcies at a stress of 10,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 when the proppant particle has a size of about 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity of about 2.7.

10. The proppant particle of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particle has a long-term permeability greater than 75 darcies at a stress of 20,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 when the proppant particle has a size of about 20-40 mesh.

11. The proppant particle of claim 5 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particle has a long-term permeability greater than 70 darcies at a stress of 12,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 when the proppant particle has a size of about 20-40 mesh.

12. The proppant particle of claim 6 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particle has a long-term permeability greater than 110 darcies at a stress of 14,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 when the proppant particle has a size of about 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity of about 3.3.

13. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particle has an appropriate strength, appropriate strength being defined as a decrease of less than 85% of long term fluid permeability, as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 at 250° F., of a pack of test particles, the test particles having the same composition and method of making as the proppant particle, when a stress applied to the pack of test particles increases from 2,000 psi to 20,000 psi and the test particles are in the size range of 20-40 mesh and the test particles have a specific gravity above 3.5.

14. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particle having a size of about 20-40 mesh with a specific gravity above 3.5 loses less than 15% of its long term liquid conductivity at 20,000 psi after being subjected to 5 cycles of cyclic loading under stresses from about 12,000 psi to about 20,000 psi.

15. The proppant particle of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particle in a size range of 20-40 mesh with a specific gravity above 3.5 has an increase in beta factor of less than 0.0005 at 20,000 psi after being subjected to 5 cycles of cyclic loading under stresses from about 12,000 psi to about 20,000 psi.

16. A pack of proppant particles, comprising:
a plurality of proppant particles, each proppant particle of the plurality comprising:
a sintered ceramic material;
a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh;
an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns; and
a surface roughness of less than about 4 microns; and

a long term permeability greater than 130 darcies at a stress of 10,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 when the proppant particles have a size of about 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity of about 2.7.

17. The pack of claim 16 , wherein the sintered ceramic material comprises kaolin.

18. The pack of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of proppant particles consists essentially of the sintered ceramic material.

19. The pack of claim 18 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered alumina.

20. The pack of claim 18 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered kaolin.

21. The pack of claim 18 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered bauxite.

22. The pack of claim 19 , wherein the proppant particles have a size of about 20-40 mesh and the pack has a long-term permeability greater than 75 darcies at a stress of 20,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5.

23. The pack of claim 20 , wherein the proppant particles have a size of about 20-40 mesh and the pack has a long-term permeability greater than 70 darcies at a stress of 12,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5.

24. The pack of claim 21 , wherein the proppant particles have a size of about 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity of about 3.3 and wherein the pack has a long-term permeability greater than 110 darcies at a stress of 14,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5.

25. The pack of claim 16 , wherein impinging the plurality of the proppant particles under a gas-entrained velocity of about 260 m/s onto a flat mild steel target results in an erosivity of the target of about 1 mg/kg to about 100 mg/kg.

26. The pack of claim 16 , wherein the proppant particles have a size of about 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity above about 3.5 and the pack loses less than 15% of its conductivity at 20,000 psi after being subjected to 5 cycles of cyclic loading under stresses from about 12,000 psi to about 20,000 psi.

27. The pack of claim 16 , wherein a plurality of the proppant particles in a size range of 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity above 3.5 has an increase in beta factor of less than 0.0005 at 20,000 psi after being subjected to 5 cycles of cyclic loading under stresses from about 12,000 psi to about 20,000 psi.

28. A method of hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:
injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein; and
injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle comprising:
a sintered ceramic material;
a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh;
an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns; and
a surface roughness of less than about 4 microns.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the sintered ceramic material comprises sintered kaolin.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the proppant particle consists essentially of the sintered ceramic material.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered alumina.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the sintered ceramic material consists essentially of sintered kaolin.

Assignees

• Carbo Ceramics Inc

Inventors

• Eldred Benjamin T
• Wilson Brett A
• Gardinier Clayton F
• Duenckel Robert

Classifications

• C09K8/62

  Compositions for forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• Y10T428/2982

  Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.] · CPC title

• C09K8/70

  characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. foams · CPC title

• C04B2235/6023

  Gel casting · CPC title

• C04B35/636

  Polysaccharides or derivatives thereof · CPC title