Composition and Method For Making A Proppant

• US 20090032254A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Oxane Materials, Inc.
• Inventors: Whitsitt, Elizabeth A., Coker, Christopher E., Barron, Andrew R., Costantino, Stephen A., Loscutova, John R., Smith, Russell J., Wiesner, Mark, Bordia, Rajendra Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,003,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/280.200
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/082 Cenospheres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/1066 Oxides, Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/04 based on magnesium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/14 based on silica
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/18 rich in aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/44 based on aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/48 based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, zircon or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/50 based on rare-earth compounds non-oxide rare earth compounds C04B35/5156
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/505 based on yttrium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0045 by a process involving the formation of a sol or a gel, e.g. sol-gel or precipitation processes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/009 Porous or hollow ceramic granular materials, e.g. microballoons C04B18/027, C04B20/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0655 Porous materials C04B38/0625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/08 by adding porous substances
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/64 Oil-based compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/66 Compositions based on water or polar solvents C09K8/64 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/80 Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/805 Coated proppants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 : Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2993 : Silicic or refractory material containing [e.g., tungsten oxide, glass, cement, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2995 : Silane, siloxane or silicone coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2996 : Glass particles or spheres

Abstract

The present invention relates to proppants which can be used to prop open subterranean formation fractions. Proppant formulations are further disclosed which use one or more proppants of the present invention. Methods to prop open subterranean formation fractions are further disclosed. In addition, other uses for the proppants of the present invention are further disclosed, as well as methods of making the proppants.

Claims

1-88. -88. (canceled)

89. A proppant comprising a ceramic material or oxide thereof or a metal oxide with a surface that comprises nanoparticles that are sintered, wherein said proppant is hollow, porous, or a closed foam network.

90. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant has a crush strength of 3,000 psi or greater.

91. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said nanoparticles have a primary particle size of from 0.1 nm up to 150 nm.

92. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said nanoparticles comprise agglomerates alone, or a combination of primary particles and agglomerates.

93. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said nanoparticles have a combination of primary particles and agglomerates, and wherein said nanoparticles have an average primary particle size of from about 1 nm to about 150 nm and the agglomerates have an average particle size of from about 10 nm to about 350 nm.

94. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said nanoparticles have a combination of primary particles and agglomerates, and wherein said nanoparticles have a weight ratio of primary particles to agglomerates of from 1:

9 to 9;

1.

95. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant has a specific gravity of from 0.6 g/cc to about 2.5 g/cc, and said proppant is spherical and has a sphericity of at least about 0.9.

96. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant comprises a hollow cenosphere.

97. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant has an overall diameter of from about 90 microns to about 1,600 microns.

98. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant comprises an aluminate.

99. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said crush strength is from 5,000 psi to 10,000 psi.

100. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said average grain size is 0.1 micron to 0.5 micron.

101. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said surface has a maximum grain size of 1 micron.

102. A method of treating a subterranean producing zone penetrated by a well bore comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing or providing a treating fluid that comprises a hydrocarbon or water carrier fluid having the proppant of claim 89 suspended therein, and (b) pumping said treating fluid into said subterranean producing zone whereby proppants are deposited therein.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein said treating fluid is a fracturing fluid and said proppants are deposited in fractures formed in said subterranean producing zone.

104. A proppant formulation comprising the proppant of claim 89 and a carrier.

105. The proppant formulation of claim 104, wherein said carrier is water or brine.

106. A method to prop open subterranean formation fractions comprising introducing the proppant formulation of claim 104 into said subterranean formation.

107. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant is hollow.

108. The proppant of claim 89, wherein said proppant is porous.