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US 2016/0237342 A1Published application
Electrically-Conductive Proppant and Methods for Making and Using Same
AssigneeCarbo Ceramics Inc.
InventorsChad Cannan, Todd Roper, Steve Savoy, Daniel R. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles and methods for producing such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles from an alumina-containing raw material. Methods for using such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles in hydraulic fracturing operations.
Claims21
A proppant pack comprising:
- a plurality of particles, each said particle, comprising a coating of an electrically-conductive metal having a thickness of at least about 270 nm formed on the outer surface of each said particle, wherein each particle has a specific gravity of less than 4 and a size of about 100 mesh to about 10 mesh, wherein the pack has an electrical conductivity, and wherein increasing a load on the pack by a factor of 5 increases the electrical conductivity of the pack by at least 50%.
A method of manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising:
- contacting a plurality of particles having a size of about 100 mesh to about 10 mesh with an alkaline solution having a pH greater than 8 to provide conditioned particles;
- and
- contacting the conditioned particles with a plating solution comprising one or more electrically-conductive metal to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles comprising a coating of the electrically-conductive metal having a thickness of at least about 270 nm formed on the outer surface of each said particle, wherein a pack of the electrically-conductive proppant particles has an electrical conductivity, and wherein increasing a load on the pack by a factor of 5 increases the electrical conductivity of the pack by at least 50%.
(canceled)
A method of manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles, comprising:
- activating a plurality of sintered, substantially round and spherical particles to provide activated particles, wherein each of the plurality of sintered, substantially round and spherical particles has a specific gravity of less than 4 and a size of about 100 mesh to about 10 mesh;
- and
- contacting the activated particles with a plating solution comprising one or more electrically-conductive metal to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles comprising a coating of the electrically-conductive metal having a thickness of at least about 270 nm formed on the outer surface of each said particle, wherein a pack of the electrically-conductive proppant particles has an electrical conductivity, and wherein increasing a load on the pack by a factor of 5 increases the electrical conductivity of the pack by at least 50%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.