PROPPANT: THE GREATEST OILFIELD INNOVATION OF ...

PROPPANT: THE GREATEST OILFIELD INNOVATION OF THE 21ST CENTURY I recently came across Murray Roth's presentation titled "Unconventional Oil and Gas: Implications for Global Field Development," which made some rather bold claims. Given the significance of the topic, I thought it deserved a discussion of its own. You can find more information on our web, so please take a look. What is the greatest driver of oilfield innovation and value in the 21st Century? Sand. Without sand, or more generally proppant, there is no hydraulic fracturing. Without hydraulic fracturing, tight oil and gas plays would remain inaccessible, rendering horizontal drilling economically unfeasible and stalling the rise of pad drilling. What is proppant? Proppant is "sand or similar particulate material suspended in water or other fluid and used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to keep fissures open." (from Wiktionary) A brief history of sand Hydraulic fracturing was first performed in 1947 in Kansas, using sand from the Arkansas river. However, widespread experimentation didn’t occur until the Barnett Shale play in the 80s, and its usage exploded in the early 21st century. Initially, proppant was simply sand, but over time, various materials have been incorporated. Today, we also have resin-coated sands, ceramic-coated sands, and proppants composed of sintered (powdered) bauxite—essentially tiny manufactured rocks! Properties of proper proppant By integrating different materials into proppant, key properties can be varied: - Size: The physical size of the proppant needs to be adjustable based on the rock condition, typically measured between 8 and 140 mesh (106 μm – 2.36 mm). - Geometry: Sometimes, the shape of the proppant needs to be tailored. - Weight: Depending on the depth of the frac, the density of the proppant needs adjustment. By adjusting these properties, we can create optimum pathways for hydrocarbon extraction. Some key qualities measured in proppant include: - Conductivity: The amount of flow the proppant will allow. - Crush Resistance: Stress properties necessary for deeper wells and varied lithologies. - Acid Solubility: Tests indicate contaminants and predict underground performance. Cost of sand According to Downholetrader.com, fracking sands cost at least a few pennies per pound. For instance, 20/40 Mesh Finished Black Gold Sand with a 7k crush in North Dakota is $.13/lb. How much proppant is needed? A lot. Initial experiments in the 1940s used around 150 pounds of sand per well. Today, the requirement has skyrocketed to around 5 million pounds per well. If you're operating in the Eagle Ford, a 20/40 mesh could cost you $280,000 for sand alone, illustrating the significant scale and growth of the proppant industry, which was as high as 57 billion lbs in 2012. Notice the market distribution: 80% is sand, while the other 20% is split between resin coating and ceramics. Choosing the right proppant While I cannot tell you definitively which proppant to use for your well, I highly recommend visiting fracfocus.org to see how proppants are being utilized in the field. Logistics: The challenge Shipping large quantities of sand to your well site when needed is challenging. You don’t have room to store them and contamination risks are high, so logistics becomes a critical factor. Final Thoughts If you’re venturing into the proppant business, know where the rigs are positioned because proppant trucks will follow soon after. For more details, please visit AnYiCheng. Recommended article: What are the benefits of OEM oil proppants manufacturing? Your Turn What do you think? What types of proppant are you seeing in your operations? Leave a comment below. Quartz proppant sand production plant We have patented technology for high-quality ceramic proppant (frac sand) production. Please contact us for full design and solutions based on your specific needs. Quartz sand proppant primarily serves in hydraulic fracturing operations in the oil and gas industry. It's used to prop open fractures in rock formations, facilitating free flow of oil and gas to the wellbore. The proppant is mixed with fluid and pumped under high pressure into the well, fracturing the rock. The proppant then fills the fractures, holding them open. Preferred for its strength and durability, quartz sand proppant withstands high pressures and temperatures without degradation. Its uniform size and shape enhance flow optimization through fractures. Production of quartz sand proppant involves: 1. Mining and crushing raw quartz sand. 2. Washing and grading the crushed sand. 3. Drying the washed and graded sand. 4. Sintering the dried sand to form spherical proppants. 5. Coating some proppants with resin for performance improvement. 6. Packaging the final proppants for shipment to exploration sites. For more information about ceramic proppant production lines or frac sand production processing plants, contact us via Cellphone/WhatsApp: +861509337835. Advantages of a ceramic proppant manufacturing plant include: 1. High-quality production meeting industry standards. 2. Cost-effective processes with economies of scale. 3. Customizable proppants for diverse needs. 4. Environmental benefits from using natural materials like clay and bauxite. 5. Innovation in hydraulic fracturing technology and oil and gas production efficiency. Want more information on ceramic coated proppant factories? Feel free to contact us.