ATTRITION RESISTANT PROPPANT COMPOSITE AND ITS COMPOSITION MATTERS
A hydraulic fracturing and gravel packing proppant composite with protectant on the surface of the proppant and the composition matters of the protectant and proppant. The surface protectant reduces the generation of dust/fines from the proppant caused by abrasion and impingement during transportation and conveyance, particularly pneumatic transfer.
1 . A method of reducing proppant attrition anywhere in a proppant supply chain, the method comprising using a surface modified proppant, where the surface modified proppant comprises:
a proppant; and
a chemical coating at least partially covering the proppant, where the chemical coating is not a thermoset polymer, not an ionic polymer, not a thermoplastic elastomer, and not a hydrogel.
2 . The method of claim 1 where the proppant comprises raw substrate, including sand, ceramic, or composite material, composites, minerals, ground shells, resin coated proppants, or combinations thereof.
3 . The method of claim 1 where the chemical coating comprises glycerin-based coating, vegetable oil/wax-based coating, tall oil pitch based coating, alkyl ester based coating, or a combination thereof.
4 . The method of claim 1 where the coating is non-petroleum-based, glycerin-based, propylene glycol-based, or a combination thereof.
5 . The method of claim 1 where the coating is less than 2 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.
6 . The method of claim 5 where the coating is less than 1 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.
7 . The method of claim 6 where the coating is 0.05 to 0.20 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.
8 . The method of claim 1 where the chemical coating is applied to the proppant through mechanical mixing, spray, non-mechanical mixing, or a combination thereof.
9 . The method of claim 1 where the coating comprises multiple coatings and where the multiple coatings are applied simultaneously or sequentially onto the proppant.
10 . The method of claim 9 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a different chemical composition than the second coating.
11 . The method of claim 9 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating, the first coating has a chemical composition, the second coating has a chemical composition, and the chemical composition of the first coating is the same as the chemical composition of the second coating.
12 . The method of claim 1 where the coating is applied to the proppant prior to the proppant being used.
13 . The method of claim 1 where the surface modified proppant further comprises a chemical marker.
14 . The method of claim 13 where the chemical marker is a colorant, a UV dye, a conductivity enhancing chemical, or a combination thereof.
15 . The method of claim 1 where the surface modified proppant further comprises a frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent.
16 . The method of claim 15 where the frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent is betaine, gluconate, polyglycol, or a combination thereof.
17 . The method of claim 1 where the coating does not require curing or drying.