Patent ID: 7845409
Filing Date: 2010-12-07
Classification: C09K,E21B

Abstract:
1. A method of propping open fractures in the walls of a bored well, comprising: (a) introducing into the well a fluid mixture of carrier fluid and a plurality of composite proppant particles, said composite proppants comprising a composite of a plurality of microbubbles and a substantially continuous resin binder phase wherein said composite proppant particles have a density from about 0.5 to about 1.8 g/cm 3 and a sphericity of less than 0.7, and (b) depositing a plurality of said composite proppant particles in said fractures to yield one or more propped channels, wherein said composite proppant particles are made by a process comprising the steps of: (1) forcing a composition comprising a radiation curable polymerizable binder precursor and a plurality of solid particulates through a perforated substrate to form agglomerate precursor particles; and (2) separating the agglomerate precursor particles from the perforated substrate; and (3) irradiating the agglomerate precursor particles wherein radiation energy is transmitted from a radiation energy source to the agglomerate precursor particles to at least partially cure the binder precursor to provide agglomerate particles, and wherein the steps (1), (2), and (3) are spatially oriented in a vertical and consecutive manner, and further wherein the composite proppant particles are at least 100 micrometers in average size.