Spherical pellets containing common clay particulate material useful as a proppant in hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells

A method for producing a ceramic propping agent, the method comprising:

• grinding a mineral particulate, an aluminosilicate network modifier, a strength enhancer, and a binder to form particles having a same approximate particle size;
• mixing said particles of mineral particulate, aluminosilicate network modifier, strength enhancer, and binder;
• nucleating said particles by adding water thereto to form spherical pellets;
• growing said spherical pellets by adding additional particles comprising said mineral particulate, said aluminosilicate network modifier, said strength enhancer, and said binder, wherein said additional particles adhere to a surface of said spherical pellets;
• drying said spherical pellets;
• and
• vitrifying said spherical pellets to form the ceramic propping agent.