Sintered spherical pellets containing clay as a major component useful for gas and oil well proppants

Patent · Tue Nov 07 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:7041707

Fitzgibbon, J J

This patent describes a gas and oil well proppant. It comprises a plurality of composite, sintered, spherical pellets having a permeability to brine at about 200{degrees}F (93.3{degrees}C) which decreases not more than about three-fourths when the applied pressure on the pellets is increased from 2,000 to 10,000 psi (140 to 700 kg/cm{sup 2}). The pellets being prepared from a mixture of calcined clay and calcined bauxite. The mixture containing at least 40 percent clay on a dry weight basis, and the pellets having an alumina to silica ratio on a dry weight basis from about 9:1 to 1.17:1, more than 6.12 weight percent of other than alumina and silica, a diameter of between 0.1 and about 2.5 millimeters, an apparent specific gravity of less than 3.40 but greater than 2.75 g/cc and a bulk density greater than 88 lbs./cubic ft.

• Assignee: Carbo Ceramics Inc., Irving, TX
• Patent Number(s): A; US 4879181
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-040534A
• OSTI ID: 7041707
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM ORES
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
BAUXITE
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLAYS
MINERALS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
ORES
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
PROPPING AGENTS
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
WELL COMPLETION
WELLS