HIGH PERMEABILITY FRAC PROPPANT

摘要

Disintegrative particles are designed to be blended with and pumped with typical proppant materials, e.g. sand, ceramics, bauxite, etc, into the fractures of a subterranean formation. With time and/or change in wellbore or environmental condition, these particles will either disintegrate partially or completely, in non-limiting examples, by contact with downhole fracturing fluid, formation water, or a stimulation fluid such as an acid or brine. Once disintegrated, the proppant pack within the fractures will lead to greater open space enabling higher conductivity and flow rates. The disintegrative particles may be made by compacting and/or sintering metal powder particles, for instance magnesium or other reactive metal or their alloys. Alternatively, particles coated with compacted and/or sintered nanometer-sized or micrometer sized coatings could also be designed where the coatings disintegrate faster or slower than the core in a changed downhole environment.