Petroleum Coke Proppant Sizing for Fracture Conductivity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing proppants, such as sand, suffer from high cost and limited hydrocarbon recovery rates in hydraulic fracturing operations, necessitating the development of high-performance alternatives.

Innovation Solution

The method involves preparing petroleum coke proppant particles by sieving and size-classifying feed particles to achieve specific size distributions, ensuring at least 75% of the first fraction is larger than 105 μm and no more than 25% is smaller than 74 μm, with at most 10% being microproppants, to enhance transport and conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sand is used as proppant in hydraulic fracturing, then fracture conductivity is maintained, but cost increases and hydrocarbon recovery rate is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracture conductivityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive sand proppant with petroleum coke proppant particles that are cheaper to obtain and process, achieving cost reduction while maintaining the essential proppant function of maintaining fracture conductivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameter from sand to petroleum coke and optimizes particle size distribution parameters (75% above 105 μm, no more than 10% below 74 μm) to achieve both cost effectiveness and hydraulic fracturing performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If sand is used as proppant, then fractures remain open, but hydrocarbon recovery rate is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracture opennessVSAvoidhydrocarbon recovery rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes particle size distribution parameters of petroleum coke proppant (75% above 105 μm, no more than 10% below 74 μm) to improve both fracture openness and hydrocarbon recovery rate simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses petroleum coke as an alternative material composition to sand, creating a composite proppant solution that achieves both fracture support and enhanced hydrocarbon recovery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If petroleum coke particles are size-classified to optimize proppant performance, then fracture conductivity is enhanced, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracture conductivityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments petroleum coke particles into different size fractions using sieving and elutriation processes, creating optimized proppant size distributions that enhance fracture conductivity while managing processing complexity through systematic separation stages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Productivity

If petroleum coke proppant particles are transported in fracturing fluid, then transport efficiency is improved, but particle size distribution must be controlled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransport efficiencyVSAvoidparticle size distribution

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent controls particle size distribution parameters (75% above 105 μm, no more than 10% below 74 μm) to optimize both transport efficiency in fracturing fluid and final proppant performance in fractures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses elutriation (fluid-based separation) to replace or supplement mechanical sieving for particle size classification, improving transport efficiency while achieving precise particle size distribution control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Petroleum coke proppant particles demonstrate improved transport, reduced settling, and enhanced conductivity, reducing the need for costly gelled fluids and minimizing wellbore cleanouts, thereby increasing hydrocarbon recovery efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

elutriating the second fraction of petroleum coke particles to obtain a petroleum coke proppant particle fraction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElutriation:

Data Source

PatentUS20260108917A1Methods for preparing petroleum coke proppant particles for hydraulic fracturing

Publication Date: 2026.04.23 EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING CO

AI summary

A method comprises providing feed petroleum coke particles comprising particles larger than a predetermined threshold size, particles smaller than the threshold size, and optionally petroleum coke microproppant particles, where the predetermined threshold size is greater than 105 μm, and sieving the particles to obtain a first fraction of petroleum coke particles and a second fraction of petroleum coke particles, where at least 75 vol % of the first fraction has particle sizes no smaller than the predetermined threshold size, and substantially all of the second fraction has particle sizes no larger than the threshold particle size, and the second fraction comprises no more than 25 vol % of petroleum coke microproppant particles having sizes no greater than 74 μm. The method comprises size-classifying the second fraction to obtain a petroleum coke proppant particle fraction comprising no more than 10 vol % of petroleum coke microproppant particles having sizes no greater than 74 μm.