Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use
Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.
1. A method of hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:
injecting a hydraulic fluid into the subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein; and
injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle having a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, a porosity, and an average surface roughness of from about 0.1 micron to about 4 microns into the fracture, the proppant particle comprising a sintered ceramic material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintered ceramic material has an alumina concentration of at least about 40 wt %.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sintered ceramic material has the alumina concentration of at least about 95 wt %.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the proppant particle is subjected to impingement under a gas-entrained velocity of about 260 m/s onto a flat mild steel target, the target experiences an erosivity of about 1 mg/kg to about 100 mg/kg.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particle loses less than 15% of its conductivity at 20,000 psi after being subjected to 5 cycles of cyclic loading under stresses from about 12,000 psi to about 20,000 psi.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the fluid containing the proppant particle into the fracture results in a pack of the proppant particle, the pack having a long-term permeability greater than 130 darcies at a stress of 10,000 psi and a temperature of 250° F., as measured in accord with ISO 13503-5 when the proppant particle has a size of about 20-40 mesh and a specific gravity of less than 2.7.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particle has a bulk density of about 1.35 g/cc to about 2.1 g/cc.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the proppant particle has a specific gravity of about 2.5 g/cc to about 4.0 g/cc.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particle has a surface roughness of less than about 2 microns.
10. A method of hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:
injecting a hydraulic fluid into the subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein; and
injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle comprising:
a sintered ceramic material;
a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh;
a porosity; and
a surface roughness of less than about 2 microns.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sintered ceramic material has an alumina concentration of at least about 40 wt %.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sintered ceramic material has the alumina concentration of at least about 95 wt %.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proppant particle has an interconnected porosity of at least about 25%.
14. A method of hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:
injecting a hydraulic fluid into the subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein; and
injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle having a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, a porosity, and an average surface roughness of from about 0.8 micron to about 2 microns into the fracture, the proppant particle comprising a sintered ceramic material.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sintered ceramic material has an alumina concentration of at least about 40 wt %.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sintered ceramic material has the alumina concentration of at least about 95 wt %.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the proppant particle has a bulk density of about 1.35 g/cc to about 2.1 g/cc.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the proppant particle has a specific gravity of about 2.5 g/cc to about 4.0 g/cc.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the proppant particle has a surface roughness of from about 0.8 micron to about 1.6 microns.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the proppant particle has an interconnected porosity of at least about 25%.