Self-suspending proppants for hydraulic fracturing
AssigneeSelf-Suspending Proppant LLC
InventorsRobert P. Mahoney, David S. Soane, Marie K. Herring, Kevin P. Kincaid, Rosa Casado Portilla, Philip Wuthrich
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Abstract
The invention provides for modified proppants, comprising a proppant particle and a hydrogel coating, wherein the hydrogel coating localizes on the surface of the proppant particle to produce the modified proppant, methods of manufacturing such proppants and methods of use.
Claims26
A process for fracturing a subterranean geological formation comprising introducing into said formation a treatment fluid wherein the fluid comprises a hydraulic fracturing fluid and a suspended modified proppant having hydrophilic properties while suspended during transport, wherein the suspended modified proppant comprises a proppant substrate particle and a swollen hydrogel coating,
- wherein the hydrogel coating has been applied to a surface of the proppant substrate particle and localizes on the surface, and
- wherein the process further comprises degrading the hydrogel coating by chemical, thermal, mechanical or biological means after the suspended modified proppant has been introduced into the formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.