Proppants and Hydraulic Fracturing
Proppants are solid materials used in the process of hydraulic fracturing to increase oil and gas production by keeping an induced hydraulic fracture open. They are added to the fluid-fracture composition. The proppant type and size can be driven by the fluid tradeoff material properties such as viscosity, the energy or pressure demands to maintain a certain pump rate or flow velocity, the fluid pH, or other rheological factors. Great concern must be exercised in choosing large mesh proppants over small mesh proppants as large mesh proppants provide high permeability (large interstitial space) under low closure pressure but could lack sufficient mechanical strength and crush in the presence of high closure pressure. Therefore, it may be worth considering small mesh proppants beyond a certain closure pressure threshold in certain scenarios.
There are other factors to consider when investigating the use of a proppant for an oil or gas well. Higher economic and environmental costs may result from using a higher density proppant as it demands a higher flow rate, a higher fluid viscosity to move it down through the tubing to the reservoir, and a higher pressure during fracturing. The specific procedure for introducing the fracture fluid and the proppant may be written such that it prevents the closure stress from causing the proppant to reorganize or “squeeze out”, reducing the effective width of the fracture and decrease permeability.
Why Ceramic Proppant
Though the choice of all commercial proppants are constrained by cost, engineered ceramic proppant can be tailored for a specific reservoir. They provide a uniform grain shape and size that result in maximum porosity and allow more oil or gas to flow though the proppant pack. Broadly sieved and irregularly shaped natural proppants like sand end up packing more tightly when discharged to the reservoir. This results in loss of fracture width – meaning reduced flow of hydrocarbons. Oil and gas wells that have been fractured with ceramic proppant have consistently exhibited improved production in a variety of reservoir conditions while having lower development costs. Studies of production rates conducted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE 77675) have shown that the combination of the strength and uniform size / shape of engineered ceramic proppant provide higher production performance overall when compared to other types.
Guidance for Ceramic Proppant Applications
(Note: The following chart serves as only a guide and does not guarantee the correct ceramic proppant for your application. Further research and / or simulation may warrant.)
If you are interested in purchasing ceramic proppant, you may submit your inquiry to requests@tims-tx.com.
Fracking Hose
Hydraulic fracking hose can be used to transport between 1 million to 5 million US gallons of non-potable water depending on the size of the project. Hydraulic fracking hose is also used to transport oil slurry mixtures between intermediate fracking tanks. Traditional solutions include a system of connecting metal pipes. Applications today consists of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Nitrile Rubber (NBR). Many product offerings have been derived from fire-fighting hose designs. All designs aim to provide high strength, resist high pressure, and employ safe operation. The idea of lay-flat hose has been initially credited to the mining industry due to the ease of transport and handling versus the use of metal pipes. The Oil and Gas industry respects lay flat hose to be the revolutionary product serving fracking efforts in shale deposits for the industry world-wide. We distribute two types of lay flat hose in large diameter (8”, 10”, 12”) – PU Hose and NBR Hose. Both are in stock in Houston, TX. Our PU and NBR fracking hoses exceed the standards established for oilfield use.
Features of Polyurethane (PU) Frac hose and Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Frac Hose
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Excellent durability for service life, yet lightweight
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Excellent pressure and puncture resistance, superior abrasion resistance
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Excellent resistance to oils and a wide range of chemicals
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Excellent resistance to UV radiation, hydrolysis and fungus degradation
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Flexible in all weather conditions from -40 F to 160F; high resistance to weathering
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Wide Service temperature for use with water: -85F to 167F
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Eco-friendly - drastic reduction in leaks, environmental hazards, and assembly time.
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Labor efficient, fast economic deployment and retrieval, easy handling - can implement several miles of hose per hour with as few as 3 crew workers
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Easy and economic transportation – 3 miles of hose can be shipped / transported in a single 40 ft container.
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Extreme high duty, high pressure Lay flat PU hose with smooth surfaces for easy wash-down
Applications
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Hydraulic Fracturing job site of oil and gas industries,
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Construction sites, waste water industries
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Agricultural and mining usage
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Transportation of abrasive materials
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Irrigation and sludge disposal
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Heavy duty service under rugged conditions
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Provides a flexible pipeline even in extreme terrains of the Military, Fire Fighting, Oilfield, and other industrial applications
Comparisons of Specifications for Choosing Lay-Flat Hose:
If you are interested in purchasing any lay-flat Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) or Nitrile Rubber (NBR) fracking hose, you may submit your inquiry to requests@tims-tx.com.
