Smart proppant technology for fracking and well production performance monitoring
The present invention provides a proppant or proppant mixture having insert materials configured for providing a mechanical or physical function in a well to hold open fissures or pathways created in formations caused by well fracking to allow a release of a hydrocarbon from the well, the insert materials being configured at least partly with beads having a functionalized polymer so as to form functionalized polymer proppants that are configured to respond to the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well, including water, and provide at least one chemical taggant containing an indication about the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well. The functionalized polymer may include a dual-monomer structure.
1. A method comprising:
providing a proppant mixture in a well, the proppant mixture having functionalized polymer proppants having mechanical structures configured to provide a mechanical or physical function in a well to hold open fissures or pathways created in formations caused by well fracking to allow a release of fluids from the well, wherein the fluids are hydrocarbons or water, each functionalized polymer proppant including an inner bead having an outer surface with a respective coating made of a functionalized polymer;
responding, by first functionalized polymer proppants with first functionalized polymer coatings of the functionalized polymer proppants, to a hydrocarbon released from the well;
providing, by the first functionalized polymer proppants, a first functionalized polymer as a first chemical taggant or chemical taggant compound containing an indication about the hydrocarbon released from the well;
responding, by second functionalized polymer proppants with second functionalized polymer coatings of the functionalized polymer proppants, to at least a different fluid other than the hydrocarbon released from the well; and
providing, by the second functionalized polymer proppants, a second functionalized polymer as a second chemical taggant or chemical taggant compound containing a corresponding indication about the different fluid released from the well.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalized polymer proppants are configured to release a range of different tracer chemical compounds or chemical taggants so as to provide an ability to uniquely identify a given proppant in the well so as to allow the well to be fingerprinted or encoded by zone.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the range of different tracer chemical compounds or taggants are configured to release a different chemical compound or taggant in the presence of water being produced from the formations so as to allow detrimental water producing zones to be identified in the well.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalized polymer comprises a dual-monomer structure.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the dual-monomer structure is configured to allow a tracer to be incorporated as a payload or core group.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the tracer is configured to be released via an external influence.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the external influence is including when coming in contact with water, or the different fluid having a predetermined pH, or a predetermined hydrocarbon.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined hydrocarbon is oil or natural gas.
9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the dual-monomer structure comprises a core group and end groups.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalized polymer proppants comprise inner beads configured as solid materials either made from sand or ceramic materials coated with the functionalized polymer, or made from the functionalized polymer.