Induced hydraulic fracturing or sand fracking is a recent technique used to release petroleum and natural gas for extraction. Fracking creates fractures from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations through the use of proppant materials. Proppant is an important granular material transported in the hydraulic fluid to fill the fracture, propping it open as high-pressure pumping stops. Common proppants used in hydraulic fracking include silica sand, resin-coated sand, and man-made ceramics. A proppant-filled fracture then creates a permeable channel through which hydrocarbons flow, increasing production rate and the amount of oil or gas recovered. Increased hydraulic pressure loads to increased hydraulic fracture in oil-rich formations, however, there is a limit to the pressures the proppant can take before is crushed into a cement that does not allow hydrocarbons to flow through.
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Mechanical compression tests are needed to determine the maximum stress level where proppant crushing slows down the production and porosity drops. Proppant crush resistance tests aim to determine the proppant porosity under high pressures. Mechanical properties such as proppant crush resistance, specific gravity and bulk density are determined in hydraulic fracture tests. ISO -2 Sec 11.3 Proppant Crush Resistance Test defines the test method currently used to test proppants used in hydrofracking. The 316SP compact electromechanical test frame is a special compact design capable of generating pressures of 21 psi (146 MPa) when used with a test cell piston diameter of 50 mm (2 in). The special load frame is configured for compression tests with an upper compression platen attached to the load cell mounted on the upper crosshead. The lower platen is coupled to the baseplate and includes hard stops to enable quick centered placement of the cell. It also includes circular rings. The proppant crush cell (ISO -2 section 11.3.2) uses a piston diameter of 50,8 mm. The test speed is controlled at a constant rate of 13,8 MPa ( psi) per minute. The crosshead loading is based on PID closed loop servo control, so system response is capable of very high quality speed control using proportional-integral-derivative gain settings. The controller measures the load status from the load cell at a rate of times per second and adjusts the crosshead motion to achieve the desired loading rate. Arrival time (ref 11.5.10) is user adjustable with different gain settings. Hydraulic Fracture Crush Test for Proppant Porosity The American Petroleum Institute (API) was the original organization for standard testing hydrofracking. Specifically, API RP-56, API RP-60, and API RP-61 testing standards were used to determine properties of proppants used in hydrofracking.
In , API and ISO members formed a group to create ISO ; the current standard test methods for testing proppants used in hydrofracking. ISO -5 is the standard test method for measuring the long-term conductivity of proppants. ISO -2 is the standard test method for determining the hydraulic fracture proppant crush resistance. The test practices of ISO -2 for determining the crush resistance of proppants call for a test machine that has a frame capable of applying loads of 15 ksi. ISO -2 specifies that the test machine used to determine the crush resistance of proppants must be capable of constant rate of extension (CRE) and capable of load rate control. The ideal machine for testing hydrofracking proppant crush resistance is TestResources 316 Series Electromechanical Test System. The 316 electromechanical test system features unique improvements over hydraulic test machines, including precision control and automation to enable the user to load samples with a consistent process, improving test consistency and accuracy. For proppant compression testing the 316 electromechanical test system is programmed to automatically follow the test procedure of ISO -2. This includes the constant rate of extension (at 0.05 mm/min) to an initial load (of 50 to 100 psi). According to ISO -2, once the preload is achieved, control automatically moves to load rate control (e.g. psi/min).
1. What is the level of demand for proppants in Russia? How has this changed from the past 5 years?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: Honestly, proppants are the &#;most wanted&#; material for oil and gas industry today. The only limits are both the number of frac fleets and the capacity of frac fleets. The demand for proppants is ever growing and the majority of our fields cannot produce efficiently without hydraulic fracturing. If we have a look at 5 years history, the use of proppants sky-rocketed from 350k tons in to k tons per year (forecast for ), and we speak about Russian market only. Considering the tight or shale reserves, one can say that proppants will have the great future.
FORES: The Russian proppant use was:
WellProp: Proppants have been in high demand for many years, and recently there has been a push towards hard-to-produce resources and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, further increasing demand.
2. How commonly used are the higher quality ceramic and resin coated proppants in Russia? What advantages do they offer?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: The USSR began to frac the formations in 50s of the last century. At that time the only proppant was river sands of pure quality. However it worked as long as the wells were shallow. In addition, the Soviets had no &#;sand culture&#; &#; as I name it. It means that there were no plants that could produce high quality frac sand, like in the US where the main frac sand suppliers have quarry and production facilities. And the most important, Russia still does not have any developed deposits of the sand that can be used for frac application even after the treatment. So, I would say that 99% of Russian proppant market is the ceramic proppants, so far. In respect of advantages, it should be mentioned that reservoirs conditions, closure stresses first of all, and permeability values require the proppants of coarse mesh sizes (20/40 &#; 12/18) with crush resistance of &#; psi. So, Russian sands are still not the right alternative to ceramic proppants as they have poor grain shape and strength even being precisely sieved. Resin coated ceramics take about 20% of the market, and are mostly used as curable RCP for flowback control. Any attempts to substitute ceramics with Resin Coated Sand have been unsuccessful,
so far.
FORES: Sand is not used because of its low quality, which thwarts output goals. Ceramic and polymer coated proppant are mixed at a 92% to 8% ratio of the required amount only if polymeric proppant is necessary for the main ceramic proppant pack to stay in place (proppant flowback control).
Currently, there are several proppant types:
Proppant, unlike sand, has high strength, sphericity, roundness and thus a higher conductivity and permeability. As a result, the liquid throughput increases through a pack of propane injected into the well. Also, high proppant strength extends well life exponentially.
WellProp: Just a few years ago, demand for polymeric proppants was quite high because of its effectiveness in controlling flowback to the surface. However, at the moment, higher prices reduce the demand for polymeric proppants.
High strength proppants are still used extensively in deep wells with high stresses where proppant characteristics, such as, crush strength are critical.
3. What type of proppants do you offer? How does the proppant type effect which wells it should be used in?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: Borovichi&#;s main product is BORPROP ISP ceramic proppant that has been produced since . The range of mesh sizes includes 30/50, 20/40, 16/30, 16/20 and 12/18. BORPROP is designed for the stresses up to psi and can withstand severe formation conditions like acid treatment and high temperatures. Chasing the market trends, we supply curable resin coated proppants for flowback control (BORPROP RCP), and precured high strength ceramics (BORPROP SSP). BORPROP RCP has three types for different temperature applications, and BORPROP SSP can be used for closure stresses up to psi. The choice of proppant is the responsibility of operator and, in some cases, service company. However, sometimes we may recommend our proppants in accordance with well characteristics: closure stress, permeability, temperature, acid frac, etc. In reality, frac engineers do not give any parameters as they are confidential data. As a rule, BORPROP is chosen for the wells with higher closure stresses.
FORES: FORES produces a full range of proppants for oil and gas companies, specifically:
Mass production:
Custom production:
Well parameters always determine the proppant size and grade.
WellProp: WellProp, LLC, (formerly CARBO Ceramics Eurasia, LLC) has quite a wide proppant range both in terms of types and capabilities, from ultra-light proppants with density lower than 1.2 g/cm3 to super high strength proppants capable of withstanding loads exceeding 20,000 psi. Moreover, our company produces the highest strength proppant among all Russian manufacturers.
Based on the type and characteristics of a test well, the customer selects a suitable proppant type that will perform ideally in very specific conditions.
4. How does the quality of the proppant effect the success of the frac job? What systems do you have in place to ensure proppant quality during production?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: This is very interesting question and I&#;d rather avoid answering it. I have good experience with the US service companies and frac sand suppliers. The opinions on proppants are very different and I do not want to be a narrow-minded guy. Sure, when we use any proppant, the higher quality is the advantage. From the other hand, the main point is still the costs per well. I think this question is better to address to frac people. At Borovichi, our practice is to maintain the high quality of the product. So, in the beginning of we certified our Quality Management System under the API Q1 Specs. In any case, BORPROP is still the best choice of operators/service companies in respect of quality.
FORES: Proppant quality does not impact the success of hydraulic fracturing. Proppant quality impacts the final fluid rate and well life.
Proppant quality does not impact the success of hydraulic fracturing. Proppant quality impacts the final fluid rate and well life. Proppant quality is driven by its production process. Production is ISO certified and coupled with a continuous quality control system.
WellProp: A major component in the success of hydraulic fracturing is proppant quality. Strength is the major yardstick for proppant selection for the particular reservoir conditions aimed at a long-term fracture conductivity at the reservoir depth.
The quality of WellProp proppants is tested in accordance with both an international ISO :2 standard and GOST R -.
The products are annually submitted to the Research and Laboratory Center for Core Samples and Proppants to confirm our proppant compliance with ISO and GOST R.
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5. What factors should operators and service companies consider with proppant permeability and mesh size?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: Actually, all the parameters of a proppant are considered by operator/service company. That is why all proppant manufacturers make the tests at the independent labs. Some tests are quite comprehensive and cannot be replicated in the field conditions. The main properties that firstly required by all end users are: crush resistance and sieve analysis.
FORES: Proppant selection is based on formation geology. Using this information, oil and gas production and service companies select the proppant.
WellProp: When selecting the proppant for a specific reservoir considered for well hydraulic fracturing, the primary focus should be on proppant permeability and grain size. The higher the reservoir permeability, the larger the proppant. Proppant permeability is linked to its size: the larger the grain, the higher its permeability.
6. Proppant weight and strength &#; How can an operator and service companies best evaluate the correct weight and strength profile for a proppant?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: The best way is to have your own laboratory. In some cases operators and service companies have mobile field labs for express analysis, and/or testing facilities at a warehouse. Big operators/service companies have R&D centers for multiple tests, including proppant evaluation for crush and bulk density. Notwithstanding the Quality Certificates of proppant manufacturers, frac engineers try to check every batch of proppant supplied. Sure, this is time consuming process, so, such tests results are very subjective. In case of any dispute between the customer and supplier regarding proppant quality, the samples of a &#;suspected&#; proppant is sent to an independent laboratory. However, in general, most of proppants are accepted and pumped on the base of data submitted by manufacturer: quality certificate and a report of independent lab.
FORES: Everything depends on formation geology. Proppant choice is always well-specific.
WellProp: The first and most popular material to hold fractures open was sand with a specific gravity of approximately 2.65g/cm3. Sand is usually used for hydraulic fracturing of reservoirs with a compressive stress not exceeding 40 MPa. Intermediate strength ceramic proppants with a specific gravity of 2.7 to 3.3g/cm3 are used at a maximum compressive stress of 69 MPa. Super high strength proppants are used at a maximum compressive stress of 100 MPa; their specific gravity is between 3.2 and 3.8g/cm3 but selection of super high strength proppant occurs less often because of their higher price.
Strength is the major yardstick for proppant selection for the particular deposit conditions aimed at a long-term fracture conductivity at deposit depth. Lowest-level stress in deep wells is oriented horizontally inducing mainly vertical fractures. The maximum vertical stress rises with depth. Therefore, in terms of depth, proppants are used in the following applications: quartz sand at a depth less than or equal to 2,500m, intermediate strength proppants at a depth less than or equal to 3,500m, and high strength proppants at a depth exceeding 3,500m.
7. How can an operator maximize propped fracture conductivity?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: This is the expertise of frac engineer. Each frac job is a unique operation with many parameters that should be considered. The simplest and common solutions could be either the usage of lager mesh sizes or the increase of proppant volume per well to enhance the contact area.
WellProp: Proppant grain transport and deposition inside the fracture is extremely important for hydraulic fracturing. For heavier proppants to be transported as far down the fracture length as possible, a higher fluid carrying capacity is required to prevent settling; this generally means high carrying fluid viscosity. Proppants with a lower bulk density can be transported further down the fracture at a low fluid viscosity since they stay suspended much longer.
8. How can an operator ensure the proppants will be transported deeper into the fracture?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: I would say they need the frac equipment with sufficient power and implement multi-size proppant pack: 100 mesh, 40/70, 30/50 in the beginning and then 20/40 and larger if required. It&#;s just my vision as a proppant producer, like: &#;one pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small, some pills that your mother gives you don&#;t do anything at all &#; go and ask Alice when she&#;s ten feet tall&#;. No doubts, frac people have their know-hows to do frac jobs more efficiently: frac fluids, surfactants, foams, etc. Technology evolves every day and the US shale revolution is the best example.
9. Proppant transportation to a remote location can be a significant part of the cost of the proppant. How do you try to minimise the cost to your clients?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: In Russia, the logistics is the issue, of course. To satisfy the customers, we have warehouses in the main locations of Siberia. Big volumes of proppant at a warehouse allow us to decrease the costs of storage. In some cases, we rent services of transport companies to deliver proppant from warehouse directly to a single well. Unfortunately, we can&#;t control the costs of Russian Railways as they are greedy guys with ever growing appetite. In any case, all the people that work in Siberia and in the Russian North understand that the price of doing business within these areas is high and you have nothing to do with it.
FORES: In the 15 years that have passed since the start of production, our company launched 3 consignment warehouses in Nyagan, Nizhnevartovsk, and Pyt Yakh of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. It relieved the burden of the logistics expenses for handling and storage off oil and gas production and service companies. Moreover, during the navigation season, our company delivers proppant to fields via water.
WellProp: With a network of bonded warehouses at the busiest locations in the Western Siberia, WellProp, LLC, can promptly deliver the proppant to its customers by stocking the warehouses when the shipping rates are at their lowest (so all centres are stocked before winter), creating savings on shipping to be turned over to our customers for the best proppant price offerings.
10. What do you think will be the future for proppant&#;s in Russia?
Borovichi Refractories Plant: As I have already said previously, the proppants are facing the great future in Russia. The only question: what proppant &#; ceramics or frac sand. Ceramic proppants dominate now, but they have very big restriction: raw materials. Plus, production facility is another big deal. My opinion is if one day somebody finds good deposit of frac sand somewhere, the sand will be the long term winner.
FORES: At the moment, hydraulic fracturing is the most cost-effective technology for enhancing oil recovery. Prospects for the success of proppant will be determined by oil prices and oil production targets.
WellProp: Hydraulic fracturing maintains its position as one of the most widespread well simulation and oil recovery enhancement technology worldwide, and, in view of the need to develop the so-called brownfields with their hard-to-produce resources, the high quality and high technology proppants produced and aggressively marketed by our company will be one of the most in demand solutions.
Alexey Timofeev
Borovichi Refractories Plant
Alexei studied at the Soviet High Military School: Control, Command, Communication, plus as a Military Interpreter, he graduated in . From -94 he worked for Volga-Dnepr Cargo Airlines as an interpreter. In - he moved to Borovichi Refractories and worked in the sales and marketing team. From - he worked for Sibelco/Unimin to head up their Russian frac sand business: evaluation, mining, processing and applications. In he took up the role as the Head of the Proppant Division of Borovichi Refractories and is responsible for all aspects of their sales and marketing within the proppant business.
Kristina Mikhailovna Polyakova
WellProp
Head of Sales Department, LLC «WellProp», began her career in the oil and gas industry in at the American company Carbo Ceramics Inc, the world leader in the production of proppants, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.
After Carbo formed a Russian entity in she actively promoted the American brand in the Russian market, and also took an active role in the construction of the plant in Kopeysk, Chelyabinsk region. Before the plant was put into operation, she was engaged in import-export operations to provide Russian customers with proppants produced at the company&#;s other, worldwide plants. After launching its own production in Russia, she actively worked in marketing, market analysis and strategic development. Currently she heads up the Moscow sales office.
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