Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture
- Salt Lake City, UT
Hollow, fine-grained ceramic proppants are less expensive and improve fracture control when compared to conventional proppants (dense alumina, mullite, bauxite, zirconia, etc.). Hollow proppants of the present invention have been fabricated by spray drying, followed by sintering in order to obtain a dense case and a hollow core. These proppants generally have high sphericity and roundness (Krumbein sphericity and roundness greater than 0.8), have diameters on average between 2250 and 125 .mu.m, depending on proppant size required, and have strength equal to or greater than that of sand. The hollow core, the size of which can be controlled, permits better fracture control in hydraulic fracturing treatments since the proppant can be transported in lower viscosity fluids. Hollow proppants produced at the same cost/weight as conventional proppants also provide for lower costs, since less weight is required to fill the same volume. The fine-grained (preferably less than 5 .mu.m in diameter) ceramic case provides the strength necessary to withstand closure stresses and prevent crushing.
- Research Organization:
- Terra Tek Inc
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC19-79BC10038
- Assignee:
- Terra Tek, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4547468
- OSTI ID:
- 865638
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Lightweight proppants for deep-gas-well stimulation. Third annual report, July 1, 1981-June 30, 1982
Lightweight proppants for deep gas-well stimulation. First annual report, July 1979-July 1980
Related Subjects
125
2250
alumina
average
bauxite
ceramic
closure
compared
control
controlled
conventional
core
cost
costs
crushing
dense
depending
diameter
diameters
drying
equal
etc
expensive
fabricated
fill
fine-grained
fluids
followed
fracture
fracturing
hollow
hollow core
hollow proppants
hydraulic
hydraulic fracturing
improve
krumbein
manufacture
mullite
obtain
permits
preferably
prevent
process
produced
proppant
proppants
provide
provides
required
roundness
sand
sintering
size
sphericity
spray
spray drying
strength
stresses
transported
treatments
viscosity
volume
weight
withstand
zirconia