Paper: NEW TECHNOLOGY QUALIFIES PROPPANT PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE FRAC

This paper offers a new approach to qualify proppant before fracture stimulation. Automated and patented flowing stream sampling technology, only recently available, is easily positioned between pneumatic trailer and field bin. Mobile labs are used to measure sample physical properties and correlate public domain or design data. Differences, which provide the basis for performance and engineering decisions, relate to mining anomalies, manufacturing defects, transportation abuse, and contamination. This is critical, as proppant is the primary construction material for a conductive fracture. To evaluate these supply chain issues API quality practices include long standing principles: 1) representative sampling from a flowing stream, 2) standardized testing with calibrated equipment, and 3) sample retention for follow-up evaluation. Since proppants are chosen to improve reservoir fluid recovery, evaluating quality and performance before the frac identifies deficiencies, assigns accountability, improves job design, and facilitates an opportunity for the best reservoir response. Case histories are included.