SUN develops lightweight proppant
Thursday, September 28, 2017
SUN manufacturers, an advanced proppant technology and drilling fluid additive manufacturer, is helping oil and gas operators fight gravity with an ultra-lightweight proppant, according to North American Shale.
Over the last decade, SUN has been fine-tuning an ultra-lightweight proponent that weighs less than traditional frack sand. The new product provides better fracture matrix coverage than a sand-only mixture, improves long-term production curves and helps to maintain the fracture network on the high side and far field that sand alone can’t typically reach or maintain over time.
The proppant created by SUN weighs less than sand at 1.06 specific gravity and is nearly buoyant in slickwater.
Learn more: North American Shale > Ultra-lightweight proppant maker drawing attention in shale oil
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.