Process for incremental coating of proppants for hydraulic fracturing and proppants produced therefrom

• US 20070036977A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fairmount Santrol Inc. (Covia Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fairmount Santrol Inc. (Covia Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Akbar, Syed, Okell, Patrick, Sinclair, A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,852,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/403
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/805 Coated proppants
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/963 Miscellaneous
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 including synthetic resin or polymer

Abstract

A high strength composite particle comprised of a series of incrementally applied resin microlayer coatings such that each of the microlayer partial coatings are interleaved with each other is described. Methods of making the composite particles, as well as methods of using such particles as a proppant in oil and gas well hydraulic fracturing are also described.

Claims

1-1. The process of claim 1, further comprising sputtering a reinforcing agent onto at least one layer of resin coated particle.

2. The process of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing agent is nanoparticulate talc.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing agent is a nanoparticle selected from the group consisting of natural clays, synthetic clays, layered clays, inorganic metal oxides, impact modifiers, and mixtures thereof.

14-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method of propping a fracture in a subterranean formation comprising:

creating at least one fracture in the subterranean formation; and

placing into the fractures a quantity of high strength, free flowing, particles comprising;

a particulate substrate;

an interleafed resin coating covering the substrate,

wherein the resin coating is interleafing and is generated in an incremental manner.

21. A method of tracing particles pumped into a subterranean formation comprising:

adding incrementally coated particles containing a radioactive nanoparticulate element to a fluid prior to injecting the fluid into a subterranean formation, wherein the radioactive nanoparticulate element is interleafed with the other coatings on the particle;

injecting the fluid into the subterranean formation; and

logging the well with an instrument capable of detecting the radioactive nanoparticulate element in order to determine fluid and particle location within the subterranean formation.