Method of manufacturing and using rod-shaped proppants and anti-flowback additives
AssigneeImerys
InventorsJean Andre Alary, Thomas Parias
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sintered rod-shaped proppant and anti-flowback agent possesses high strength and high conductivity. The sintered rods comprise between about 0.2% by weight and about 4% by weight aluminum titanate. In some embodiments, the sintered rods are made by mixing bauxitic and non-bauxitic sources of alumina that may also contain several so-called impurities (such as TiO2), extruding the mixture, and sintering it. The starting material may optionally be milled to achieve better compacity and crush resistance in the final sintered rod. A fracturing fluid may comprise the sintered rods alone or in combination with a proppant, preferably a proppant of a different shape.
Claims49
1-106. (canceled)
A method of promoting flow in a well bore in a subterranean formation by fracturing the subterranean formation, the method comprising injecting a fluid into the subterranean formation, the fluid containing comprising a sintered rod-shaped article made from a milled composition comprising at least about 90% by weight alumina and between about 0.15% and about 3.5% by weight TiO2.
A method of promoting flow in a well bore in a subterranean formation by fracturing the subterranean formation, the method comprising injecting a fluid into the subterranean formation, the fluid comprising a sintered rod-shaped article formed from a milled composition, the milled composition comprising at least about 80% technical grade alumina by weight and between about 0.1% by weight and about 20% by weight of material containing at least one other oxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.