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US 7,825,053 B2Granted
Sintered spherical pellets
AssigneeCarbo Ceramics Inc.
InventorsRobert Duenckel, Mark Edmunds, Steve Canova, Benjamin Eldred, Brett Allen Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sintered, spherical composite pellets or particles comprising alumina fines, at least one of clay and bauxite and optionally a sintering aid, are described, along with a process for their manufacture. The use of such pellets in hydraulic fracturing of subterranean formations and in grinding is also described.
Claims20
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation located at a depth of up to about 20,000 feet, comprising:
- injecting a hydraulic fluid into the formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein, and
- injecting into the fracture a fluid containing sintered, spherical pellets, the pellets being prepared from a composition comprising from about 58 to about 75 percent by weight of alumina fines and from about 25 to about 42 percent by weight of clay, wherein the alumina fines has an alumina content of about 99 percent by weight.
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation located at a depth of up to about 20,000 feet, comprising:
- injecting a hydraulic fluid into the formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein, and
- injecting into the fracture a fluid containing sintered, spherical pellets, the pellets being prepared from a composition comprising from about 20 to about 36 percent by weight of alumina fines and from about 63 to about 80 percent by weight of bauxite, wherein the alumina fines has an alumina content of about 99 percent by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.