Which properties should be satisfied by ceramic proppant

Ceramic proppant is one of the key components in the fracturing process of oil and gas wells. The introduction of proppants to the process of hydraulic fracturing has brought about increased hydrocarbon production rates and recovery. Proppants prevent fracture closure by keeping the hydraulically created fractures propped open with a high conductivity medium,and allow for an increased fracture flow capacity. Technical and chemical characteristics of proppants dramatically influence their efficiency in hydraulic fracturing. Having the correct location specific proppant can make a significant difference on production rate and profitability, and for this reason it is imperative to utilize the appropriate product. So which properties should be satisfied by ceramic proppant?

1. High strength. Ensure that the most effective support effect can be obtained even under the action of high closing pressure. Different types and compositions of proppants have different strengths, and the higher the strength, the greater the pressure-bearing capacity.

2. Uniform particle size and good sphericity. Uniform particle size of proppant can improve the pressure-bearing capacity and permeability of proppant. Nowadays, we use the proppant particle diameter is usually 0.85~0.425mm(i.e. 20/40 mesh), 0.600~0.300mm(i.e. 30/50 mesh).

3. Less impurities. In order to avoid blocking the pores of supporting fractures and reducing the fracture inflow capacity. Impurities in proppant are minerals such as carbonate, feldspar, iron oxides and clay mixed in the sand; acid solubility is generally used to measure the content of carbonate, feldspar and iron oxide existing in the proppant, while the turbidity is used to measure the the content of clay, silt or inorganic material particles existing in the proppant.

4. Low density. The bulk density should preferably be less than 2.0g/cm³, which is conducive to fracturing fluid delivery of proppant while efficiently filling the fracture.

5. The proppant should be chemically inert in high-temperature brine and not react chemically with the fracturing fluid and reservoir fluid to avoid contamination blocking the fracture.

These are the properties that the ceramic proppant should meet, but at last but not least, sufficient supply and low price also play an important role.