Proppant
Proppants are solid and specific sized particles mixed with fracturing fluids to keep the fractures open after or during the hydraulic fracturing treatment. It has various usage depending on the type of hydraulic fracturing process. It can be in the forms such as naturally occurring sand-grains, synthetic ceramic materials like sintered bauxite or treated sand like resin coated sand. It forms the most integral part of the fracturing fluid.
The figure below shows the use of Proppant in Hydraulic Fracturing Treatment.
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| Source : API |
Applications
- With desired conductivity it proves to be cost effective in fracturing process.
- Better proppants make well production more effective and avoid additional chemical stimulation of the gas and oil well.
- They help to keep the induced fractures wide open providing continued oil and gas recovery.
- They are used for extraction in low permeable areas like shale gas, tight gas where conventional drilling is almost impossible.
The conductivity of the proppant is an important factor in fracturing process. The conductivity decides the efficiency and cost effectiveness. the following figure shows the pyramid where 99% of proppants used currently fit into it.
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| Source : CARBO ceramics |
The Proppant Industry
The hydraulic fracturing industry is booming due to increased energy demands and high rate of drilling activities. This has lead to the growth of proppant industry as it forms the integral part of fracturing.The industry is segmented into various geographical regions listed below based on consumption and usage.
- North America
- Asia-Pacific
- Europe
- Rest of world (ROW)
Market trends and Forecast
The market trends are driven by factors such as :
- Increased Extraction of gas and oil from reservoirs.
- Favorable conditions in regions like USA and Canada.
- Increased drilling activities.
The key player in the US market are Cadre Proppants (U.S.), Momentive (U.S.), Saint Gobain Proppants (U.S.), Carbo Ceramics (U.S.)
The global proppant production market is likely to reach 43.8 million tons by 2017 at a Compound annual Rate of 12.4%. North America is market leader in this segment and will remain in upcoming years. North America is followed by Asia Pacific.
For more details, follow the link :
http://www.prweb.com/releases/proppant-market/0/prweb10834647.htm
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