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The Rise of Proppants in Hydraulic Fracturing

Wedged In

Credit: Momentive

The alignment of various factors ushered in a new era for a product deeply embedded in hydraulic fracturing. Since 2007, the rise of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction has substantially increased the demand for proppants—grainy materials that enhance the flow of natural gas and oil by keeping rock fissures propped open.

Expanding Capacity to Meet Growing Demand

Suppliers have been rapidly expanding their production capabilities to match this growing demand. Companies involved range from resin manufacturers like Georgia-Pacific Chemicals and Momentive Specialty Chemicals to industrial mineral firms, ceramics producers, and even nanotech start-ups. Many of these firms leverage chemistry to produce proppants capable of withstanding extreme pressures and temperatures while improving the flow of gas and oil.

Fracking Fluids vs. Proppants

In discussions about hydraulic fracturing, proppants have often been overlooked compared to fracturing fluids. These fluids—a concoction of water, thickeners, friction reducers, surfactants, salts, and acids—are crucial for carrying proppants deep into gas or oil wells.

Great Grains

Credit: Momentive

During fracking, the fluid-proppant mixture is pumped at high pressure into shale deposits, sometimes a mile or more below the surface. When this high-pressure pumping ceases, the fluid is extracted from the wells, leaving behind proppant grains that keep the fractures open, facilitating gas or oil flow. As drilling depths and horizontal reaches have increased, so have the challenges for proppants.

Types of Proppants

Proppants can be simple silica sand, sourced from ancient sandstone deposits in places like Saskatchewan and Wisconsin. However, more challenging reserves have pushed drillers towards tougher options like resin-coated sands, stronger ceramic proppants, and advanced nanotech ceramics.
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The Impact of Horizontal Drilling and Fracturing

"The combination of horizontal drilling and the fracturing of unconventional resources has drastically increased the amount of proppant used," says Brian D. Olmen, President of Kelrik, a mineral consultancy firm specializing in energy industries. According to the American Petroleum Institute, up to 80% of the natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will involve hydraulic fracturing.

The quantity of proppants used in a well is determined by the number of fracturing points where material is pumped along the well's horizontal length. Wells can extend half a mile laterally with 10 to 20 stages or more, each requiring an average of 300,000 lbs of proppant. This can quickly amount to millions of pounds, Olmen notes.

In Marcellus Shale wells in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, drillers might utilize between 10 million and 20 million lbs of proppants. According to Jerry Borges, Vice President of Momentive’s oil-field technology business, 20 million lbs of proppant equals roughly 100 railcars of sand, all pumped through a narrow wellbore pipe of 5.5 to 7 inches in diameter.

Choosing the Right Proppants

The right proppant depends on the specific site and drilling operation. "For instance, noncoated sand might suffice for shallow operations, but resin-coated sand offers needed resistance against the increased pressure at greater depths," explains Michael R. Roberts, Vice President at Georgia-Pacific Chemicals.

Of the proppants used in 2010, over 88% were sand or resin-coated sand. Demand for resin-coated sand has seen an annual growth rate of more than 25% over the past five years, according to Olmen. The remaining 12% primarily consisted of ceramic proppants, valued for their higher resistance to crush and heat and better flow capacity, especially under extreme conditions.

Innovations and Future Developments

Companies specializing in resin-coated proppants are scaling up production. Georgia-Pacific is expanding its facility in Lufkin, Texas, while Momentive ramps up curable resin coatings at its Brady, Texas, site. "We developed curable resins to strengthen the sand and make it bond together," Borges mentions.

Carbo Ceramics, a leading ceramic proppant producer, has added a fourth manufacturing line in Toomsboro, GA, and included resin-coated proppants in its portfolio. Carbo's recent financial reports indicate a 34% revenue increase to $150 million, due to higher sales volumes and pricing.

Oxane Materials, a nanotech start-up originating from Rice University, creates lighter, stronger ceramic proppants using nanotechnology. "My team developed hollow ceramic beads that are incredibly strong," says Andrew R. Barron, a materials science professor and Oxane founder. These advancements promise better performance in various drilling conditions.

As drilling evolves into regions like the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas and the Bakken formation in Montana and North Dakota, proppant makers must stay attuned to changing demands. Borges concludes, "We are working on new chemistries for oil-field development, requiring a deep understanding of resins to perform at different temperatures and depths."

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