# US 11,993,749 B2 · Electrically conductive proppant and methods for detecting, locating and characterizing the electrically conductive proppant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,749 B2 - Document ID: US11993749B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/517,503 - Filed: 2021-11-02 - Published: 2022-02-24 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC - Applicants: Carbo Ceramics Inc.; National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC - Inventors: Chad Cannan; Lewis Bartel; Terrence Palisch; David Aldridge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993749B2 ## CPC - C09K 8/805: {Coated proppants} - C23C 14/06: characterised by the coating material ({C23C14/0021} , C23C14/04 take precedence) - C23C 14/35: by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)} - E21B 43/25: Methods for stimulating production {(by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003)} - E21B 43/267: reinforcing fractures by propping - E21B 47/00: Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) - E21B 47/092: by detecting magnetic anomalies - E21B 43/26: by forming crevices or fractures - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Electrically conductive proppants and methods for detecting, locating, and characterizing same are provided. The electrically conductive proppant can include a substantially uniform coating of an electrically conductive material having a thickness of at least 500 nm. The method can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein, injecting into the fracture a fluid containing the electrically conductive proppant, electrically energizing the earth at or near the fracture, and measuring three dimensional (x, y, and z) components of electric and magnetic field responses at a surface of the earth or in an adjacent wellbore. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising: preparing a slurry comprising water, a binder, an electrically-conductive material, and a raw material having an alumina content; atomizing the slurry to form droplets; coating seeds comprising alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets; and sintering the green pellets to provide sintered electrically-conductive proppant particles. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises one or more of a metal, an electrically-conductive polymer, graphite, or an electrically-conductive nanoparticle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises graphite or carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, and nickel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises nickel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises graphite. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sintered electrically-conductive proppant particles have an electrically-conductive material concentration of about 5 wt % to about 10 wt %. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each green pellet comprises a seed portion having about 5% to about 20%, by volume, of the green pellet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive proppant particles have a resistivity of about 100 ohm-cm to about 0.8 ohm-cm. ### Claim 10 A method of manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising: preparing droplets comprising water, a binder, an electrically-conductive material, and a raw material having an alumina content; coating seeds comprising alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets, wherein the droplets have an alumina content at least 10% less than the alumina content of the seeds; and sintering the green pellets to provide sintered electrically-conductive proppant particles having a resistivity of about 100 ohm-cm to about 0.8 ohm-cm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises one or more of a metal, an electrically-conductive polymer, graphite, or an electrically-conductive nanoparticle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises graphite or carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, and nickel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises nickel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises graphite. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the slurry has an electrically-conductive material concentration of about 5 wt % to about 10 wt % based on a total weight of solids contained in the slurry. ### Claim 17 A proppant pack comprising: a plurality of electrically-conductive proppant particles, each particle comprising a sintered green pellet formed from a slurry comprising water, a binder, an electrically-conductive material, and a raw material having an alumina content, wherein each particle has a resistivity of about 100 ohm-cm to about 0.8 ohm-cm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The proppant pack of claim 17, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises one or more of a metal, an electrically-conductive polymer, graphite, or an electrically-conductive nanoparticle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The proppant pack of claim 17, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises graphite or carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The proppant pack of claim 17, wherein the electrically-conductive material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, and nickel.