Fabrication of ceramic proppants for hydraulic fracturing processes of petroleum wells from Egyptian local ores

Abstract

High strength proppants were always in demand for hydraulic fracturing techniques used in unconventional reservoirs for oil and gas extraction processes. To support this concept, relatively low-alumina content glass-ceramic proppants based on the system Fe2O3-TiO2-MgO-CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 have been prepared by using frit, kaolin, and bentonite in a glaze formulation. By deposition of glaze drops on porous ceramic tile, a semi-dry proppant beads were obtained. Different frit compositions of aluminum oxide replacing calcium oxide were used to obtain highly sintered proppants with a robust glassy matrix at 1100 ◦C in a fast firing cycle. The microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the phase structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD) were investigated. The results revealed the formation of two main phases; cristobalite and calcium aluminum silicate in addition to the other two phases of mullite and Diopside ferrian in some samples. By evaluating the employed fabricated ceramic compositions as high conductivity and high strength proppants for hydraulic fracturing process it was found that all samples exhibited competitive properties according to American Petroleum Institute standards (API RP 19C Standard) for proppants criteria. Crushing loss under 7,500 psi closed pressure was (from 1.5% to 6.7%), the weight loss by acids attack was (from 0.001% to 0.07%), sphericity and roundness were (0.9) in addition, the apparent and bulk densities were (from 2.51 to 2.58 g/cm³) and (from 1.46 to 1.50 g/cm³), respectively