METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A LIGHTWEIGHT MAGNESIUM SILICATE PROPPANT AND A PROPPANT

• US 20110301067A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoy Otvetstvennostyu "Fores"
• Original Assignee: Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoy Otvetsvennostyu Fores
• Inventors: Plotnikov, Vasily Alexandrovich, Rozhkov, Eugeny Vasilyevich, Peychev, Viktor Georgiyevich, Shmotyev, Sergey Fedorovich, Pliner, Sergey Yuryevich, Sychev, Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich
• Granted Patent: US 8,785,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 507/269
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3418 Silicon oxide, silicic acids or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3445 Magnesium silicates, e.g. forsterite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3463 Alumino-silicates other than clay, e.g. mullite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5436 micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/656 characterised by specific heating conditions during heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/77 Density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/96 Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/20 rich in magnesium oxide , e.g. forsterite C04B35/195 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6261 Milling
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62695 Granulation or pelletising devices for shaping artificial aggregates from ceramic mixtures B28B1/004
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/80 Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open

Abstract

The invention relates to oil and gas industry, i.e. techniques for making proppants designed to be used as propping agents in oil and gas recovery by the method of formation hydraulic fracturing. A method for the production of a lightweight magnesium silicate proppant, the method comprises heat processing of a magnesium-containing component—a source of magnesium oxide, its co-grinding with a silica- containing component, pelletizing of the batch prepared, sintering and sieving of the pellets prepared, wherein the batch comprises (in terms of calcined substance), in % by weight: SiO₂-6 4-72, MgO-11-18, natural impurities—remainder, wherein the heat processing is carried out at temperature not more than 1080 degrees C. A lightweight magnesium silicate proppant is characterized in that the proppant is produced by said method. At least one of the group: serpentine, brucite, caustic magnesite, talc may be used said magnesium-containing component. Said components may comprise serpentine gravel and quartz-feldspar sand at the following ratio, wt. %: serpentine gravel—30-40, quartz-feldspar sand—60-70. The sintering is performed at temperature 1140-1190 degrees C.

Claims

1. A method for the production of a lightweight magnesium silicate proppant, the method comprising heat processing of a magnesium-containing component—

a source of magnesium oxide, its co-grinding with a silica-containing component, pelletizing of the batch prepared, sintering and sieving of the pellets prepared, wherein the batch comprises (in terms of calcined substance), in % by weight;

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said magnesium-containing component comprises at least one of the group:

serpentine, brucite, caustic magnesite, talc.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said components comprise serpentine gravel and quartz-feldspar sand at the following ratio, in percent by weight:

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sintering is performed at temperature 1140-1190 degrees C.

5. A lightweight magnesium silicate proppant, wherein the proppant is produced by the method of claim 1.

6. The proppant according to claim 5, wherein said magnesium - containing component comprises at least one of the group:

serpentine, brucite, caustic magnesite, talc.

7. The proppant according to claim 5, wherein said components comprise serpentine gravel and quartz-feldspar sand at the following ratio, in percent by weight:

8. The proppant according to claim 5, wherein the sintering is performed at temperature 1140-1190 degrees C.