Thermoset nanocomposite particles, processing for their production, and their use in oil and natural gas drilling applications

A method for fracture stimulation, in an acidic environment, of a subterranean formation having a wellbore, comprising:

• injecting into the wellbore a slurry containing a nanocomposite spherical bead proppant at sufficiently high rates and pressures such that said formation fails and fractures to accept said slurry, said spherical bead proppant comprising:
• a polymer matrix;
• and from 0.001 to 60 volume percent of nanofiller particles possessing a length that is less than 0.5 microns in at least one principal axis direction, wherein said nanofiller particles comprise at least one of fine particulate material, fibrous material, discoidal material, or a combination of such materials;
• and wherein said nanofiller particles are selected from the group of nanofillers consisting of:
• carbon black, fumed silica, fumed alumina, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, cellulosic nanofibers, fly ash, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, or mixtures thereof, said nanofiller particles being dispersed throughout said polymeric nanocomposite spherical bead propppant, wherein said spherical bead proppant has a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 4 mm and wherein said spherical bead proppant has about neutral buoyancy relative to water;
• and
• emplacing said nanocomposite spherical bead proppant within a fracture network in said formation in a packed mass or a partial monolayer of said spherical head proppant, which packed mass or partial monolayer props open the fracture network;
• thereby allowing produced gases, fluids, or mixtures thereof, to flow towards the wellbore,
• wherein said nanocomposite spherical bead exhibits enhanced retention of resistance in the acidic environment compared to prior art proppants comprising:
• thermoset polymer particles, heat treated thermoset polymer particles;
• thermoset polymer composite particles containing 60% to 90% by volume fillers having a size of 0.5 microns to 60 microns;
• and ceramic nanocomposite particles comprising 50% to 90% by weight of clay, bauxite, alumina, silica, or mixtures thereof and 0.1% to 30% by weight of nanofiller material.