Self-Suspending Proppant Mixture for Hydraulic Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fracturing methods in oil and gas well operations face challenges in maintaining proppants suspended in fracturing fluids to effectively prop open fractures in rock formations, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the use of self-suspending proppants, which are more expensive than untreated proppants.
Innovation Solution
A proppant composition comprising a combination of self-suspending proppant with hydrophilic polymer coatings and untreated proppant, where the self-suspending proppant concentration is optimized to hydrate at least 75% of the total polymer volume, reducing unabsorbed water to less than 25% and preventing settling of both types of proppants for extended periods by swelling the polymer coating, thereby minimizing the need for additional viscosifiers and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If self-suspending proppant with water-absorbing polymer coating is used to maintain proppant suspension, then proppant suspension stability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines self-suspending proppant (with polymer coating) and untreated proppant (without polymer coating) in a specific ratio range (30-70% and 70-30 respectively) to achieve both suspension stability and cost efficiency. This merging allows the system to benefit from the polymer's water-absorbing properties while reducing the amount of expensive coated proppant needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration of self-suspending proppant to achieve at least 75% polymer hydration, which corresponds to a specific proportion range. By controlling this parameter, the system achieves sufficient suspension stability while minimizing the use of expensive self-suspending proppant and reducing overall formulation cost.
2Stability of the object's composition
If excessive self-suspending proppant is used to ensure complete polymer hydration, then proppant suspension stability is improved, but cost increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by hydrating at least 75% of the polymer volume, which is sufficient to achieve stable suspension without requiring complete (100%) hydration. This partial hydration approach maintains suspension stability while avoiding the excessive use of self-suspending proppant that would reduce efficiency and increase cost.
3Ease of manufacture
If untreated proppant is used instead of self-suspending proppant, then cost is reduced, but proppant settling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses self-suspending proppant as an intermediary component that absorbs water and swells to create a stabilizing effect on the entire proppant mixture. This intermediary action allows inexpensive untreated proppant to be used in high concentrations while the limited amount of self-suspending proppant acts as a suspension stabilizer for the entire mixture.
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 composition effectively maintains proppants suspended for substantial periods, optimizing the use of self-suspending proppant, preventing settling, and enhancing the efficiency of fracturing fluids by ensuring that the polymer coating supports the proppants without excess water, thus delaying and avoiding settling, which improves the fracturing process and reduces costs.
Implementation Method 1
a self-suspending proppant, including a plurality of proppant granules each with a hydrophilic polymer coating
Implementation Method 2
the coating reacts with the liquid to form fracturing fluid with a viscosity, resistance to settling
Implementation Method 3
the coating reacts with the liquid to form fracturing fluid with a viscosity, resistance to settling
Data Source
AI summary
A proppant composition includes: a volume of water; a self-suspending proppant, including a plurality of proppant granules each with a hydrophilic polymer coating, the hydrophilic polymer coatings of the self-suspending proppant together defining a total polymer volume; and an untreated proppant, where a concentration of the self-suspending proppant in the water is sufficient (i) to reduce the water to an unabsorbed volume of less than 25% of the volume of water and (ii) to hydrate at least 75% of the total polymer volume.