Reducing flow-back in well treating materials
View Patent ↗A composite proppant having a proppant substrate such as a porous ceramic or silica sand coated with magnetic particles and a method of propping a subterranean formation using a composition consisting essentially of the composite proppant.
1. A method for treating a subterranean formation comprising introducing into fractures in the formation particles comprising a composite proppant, said composite proppant comprising a core of a proppant substrate having an adhered coating of magnetic metal particles, wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise 0.1% to 10.0% of the composite proppant by weight and wherein the proppant substrate is sufficiently strong to withstand a closure pressure of at least 3,000 psi.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant substrate is selected from the group consisting of bauxite, silica sand and porous ceramic, optionally coated with a resin.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise magnetite.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise above 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the composite proppant.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic metal particles are adhered to the proppant substrate using a hot melt adhesive.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic metal particles are adhered to the proppant substrate using a novolac resin crosslinked with a hexamine.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the hot melt adhesive includes a thermoplastic resin.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the magnetite comprise 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the composite proppant.
9. A particulate composite proppant comprising a proppant substrate having an adhered coating of magnetic metal particles, wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise 0.1% to 10.0% of the composite proppant by weight and wherein the proppant substrate is sufficiently strong to withstand a closure pressure of at least 3,000 psi.
10. The particulate composite proppant of claim 9 further comprising an adhesive adhering the magnetic metal particles to the proppant substrate.
11. The particulate composite proppant of claim 10 , wherein the adhesive includes a thermoplastic resin.
12. The particulate composite proppant of claim 10 , wherein the adhesive includes a wax powder.
13. The particulate composite proppant of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise magnetite.
14. The particulate composite proppant of claim 13 , wherein the magnetite comprises 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the particulate composite proppant.
15. The particulate composite proppant of claim 9 , wherein the proppant substrate comprises at least one of a porous ceramic, silica sand, bauxite and hollow glass, optionally having a resin coating.
16. The particulate composite proppant of claim 14 , wherein the proppant substrate comprises a particulate silica sand.
17. A particulate composite proppant comprising a proppant substrate having an adhered coating of magnetic metal particles, wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise 0.5% to 50.0% of the composite proppant by weight and wherein the proppant substrate is sufficiently strong to withstand a closure pressure of at least 3,000 psi.
18. The particulate composite proppant of claim 17 , wherein the magnetic metal particles comprise over 0.5% to 5.0% of the composite proppant by weight.
19. The method for treating a subterranean formation of claim 1 wherein the composite proppant of the present invention is introduced into the fractures of the subterranean formation with a carrier fluid to form a proppant composition, and the composite proppant particulates comprise at least 80% by weight of the particulates in the carrier fluid.