Self-Bonding Resin Coated Proppants for Low-Temperature Flowback Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing resin coated proppants for hydraulic fracturing require high temperatures and intense mixing processes, leading to increased costs and complexity, and are less effective at low temperatures, where proppant flowback remains a significant issue in subterranean formations.
Innovation Solution
A resin coated proppant with a self-bonding vinyl aromatic/acrylic ester addition copolymer resin coating, which forms a polymer network at temperatures as low as 70°F, eliminating the need for high-temperature curing and intense mixing, and reducing the amount of polymer resin required, thus addressing proppant flowback and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional curable resin coated proppants are used to prevent proppant flowback, then proppant particles are captured and held in place, but high temperatures (300°F or more) and high intensity mixing are required, increasing manufacturing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the resin coating system by using water-soluble polymer resins (polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, carboxymethyl cellulose) instead of conventional organic solvents and curable resins. This parameter change eliminates the need for high-temperature curing (300°F+) and high-intensity mixing, allowing coating at lower temperatures with standard mixing equipment while maintaining proppant flowback prevention capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal curing mechanism (heat-activated polymerization) with a water-soluble dissolution and bonding mechanism. The water-soluble polymer resins dissolve in the aqueous coating solution and form adhesive bonds upon drying, substituting the mechanical/thermal curing process with a simpler evaporative drying process that eliminates high-temperature requirements
2Reliability
If conventional resin coating processes are used, then proppant particles are coated with polymer resin, but the process requires separate manufacturing plants and adds considerable time and expense
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sand processing and resin coating operations into a single integrated manufacturing process. The water-soluble polymer coating is applied to cleaned and classified sand in the same plant using a simple aqueous dispersion process, eliminating the need for separate coating facilities and reducing manufacturing time and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The water-soluble polymer resins self-dissolve in the aqueous coating solution and self-adhere to the proppant particles upon drying, eliminating the need for complex coating equipment and high-intensity mixing. The process uses the natural properties of the water-soluble polymers to achieve coating without additional energy input or specialized machinery
3Reliability
If curable resin coated proppants are used in low temperature applications, then proppant flowback can be prevented, but curing ability rapidly diminishes below 150°F, requiring additional curing agents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter requirements by using water-soluble polymer resins that do not require thermal curing. These polymers dissolve and form adhesive bonds at ambient temperatures, expanding the operational temperature range to include low-temperature applications (below 150°F) without requiring additional curing agents or activators
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
The solution effectively prevents proppant flowback in subterranean formations with low temperatures and pressures, while being easier and less expensive to produce, with improved UCS values and conductivity compared to conventional curable resin coated proppants, and can be manufactured in the same sand plant as the proppant substrate.
Implementation Method 1
a self-bonding vinyl aromatic/acrylic ester addition copolymer resin coating, which forms a polymer network at temperatures as low as 70°F
Implementation Method 2
the resin coatings of the individual proppant particles to bond one another, thereby forming a polymer network which tends to capture and hold the individual proppant particles
Data Source
AI summary
A resin coated proppant capable of self-bonding at temperatures as low as 70° F. (˜21° C.) is made from an aqueous dispersion of a self-bonding vinyl aromatic/acrylic ester addition copolymer.