# US 8,785,356 B2 · Method for the production of a lightweight magnesium silicate proppant and a proppant

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- Number: US 8,785,356 B2
- Document ID: US8785356B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/152,693
- Filed: 2011-06-03
- Published: 2011-12-08
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-03
- Assignees: Obshchestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennostyu “FORES” (OOO “FORES”)
- Applicants: Vasily Alexandrovich Plotnikov; Eugeny Vasilyevich Rozhkov; Viktor Georgiyevich Peychev; Sergey Fedorovich Shmotyev; Sergey Yuryevich Pliner; Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Sychev
- Inventors: Vasily Alexandrovich Plotnikov; Eugeny Vasilyevich Rozhkov; Viktor Georgiyevich Peychev; Sergey Fedorovich Shmotyev; Sergey Yuryevich Pliner; Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Sychev
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785356B2

## CPC

- C09K 8/80: Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
- C04B 35/20: rich in magnesium oxide {, e.g. forsterite (C04B35/195 takes precedence)}
- C04B 35/6261: {Milling}
- C04B 35/62695: {Granulation or pelletising (devices for shaping artificial aggregates from ceramic mixtures B28B1/004)}
- C04B 2235/3418: Silicon oxide, silicic acids or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint
- C04B 2235/3445: Magnesium silicates, e.g. forsterite
- C04B 2235/3463: Alumino-silicates other than clay, e.g. mullite
- C04B 2235/5436: micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
- C04B 2235/656: characterised by specific heating conditions during heat treatment
- C04B 2235/77: Density
- C04B 2235/96: Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE

## Abstract

The invention relates to oil and gas industry, i.e. techniques for making proppants designed to be used as propping agents in oil and gas recovery by the method of formation hydraulic fracturing. A method for the production of a lightweight magnesium silicate proppant, the method comprises heat processing of a magnesium-containing component—a source of magnesium oxide, its co-grinding with a silica-containing component, pelletizing of the batch prepared, sintering and sieving of the pellets prepared, wherein the batch comprises (in terms of calcined substance), in % by weight: SiO2-6 4-72, MgO-11-18, natural impurities—remainder, wherein the heat processing is carried out at temperature not more than 1080 degrees C. A lightweight magnesium silicate proppant is characterized in that the proppant is produced by said method. At least one of the group: serpentine, brucite, caustic magnesite, talc may be used said magnesium-containing component. Said components may comprise serpentine gravel and quartz-feldspar sand at the following ratio, wt. %: serpentine gravel—30-40, quartz-feldspar sand—60-70. The sintering is performed at temperature 1140-1190 degrees C.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for the production of a lightweight magnesium silicate proppant, the method comprising heat processing of a magnesium-containing component—a source of magnesium oxide, its co-grinding with a silica-containing component, pelletizing of the batch prepared, sintering and sieving of the pellets prepared, wherein the batch comprises (in terms of calcined substance), in % by weight:
SiO2-
64-72
MgO-
11-18,
natural impurities-
remainder,
wherein the heat processing is carried out at temperature not more than 1080 degrees C.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said magnesium-containing component comprises at least one of the group: serpentine, brucite, caustic magnesite, talc.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said components comprise serpentine gravel and quartz-feldspar sand at the following ratio, in percent by weight:
serpentine gravel-
30-40
quartz-feldspar sand-
60-70.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the sintering is performed at temperature 1140-1190 degrees C.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A lightweight magnesium silicate proppant, wherein the proppant is produced by the method of claim 1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The proppant according to claim 5, wherein said magnesium-containing component comprises at least one of the group: serpentine, brucite, caustic magnesite, talc.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The proppant according to claim 5, wherein said components comprise serpentine gravel and quartz-feldspar sand at the following ratio, in percent by weight:
serpentine gravel-
30-40
quartz-feldspar sand-
60-70

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The proppant according to claim 5, wherein the sintering is performed at temperature 1140-1190 degrees C.