ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF UTILIZATION OF CERAMIC PROPPANTS IN TECHNOLOGIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF SHALE GAS RESOURCES Warsaw, June 2014
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF UTILIZATION OF CERAMIC
PROPPANTS IN TECHNOLOGIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF SHALE GAS
RESOURCES
Warsaw, June 2014
Extracting shale gas – simplified scheme
Horizontal
drilling
Piping
& Cementing
Pumping
water,
proppants
& chemicals
Gas flow to the
surface
Vertical
drilling
Collecting
&Transporting
gas to pipeline
Creating
fracture in the
rock
Detonation
& Perforation
Recycling
Water
storage
Cleaning
the bed after
fracking Sludge
Chemicals
storage
Proppant
storage
Hydraulic Fracturing the Shale
Typical position for Hydraulic Fracturing:
• 10-20 Pumps • Frac Tanks
• 2-4 Proppant Storage Units • Chemical Storage Truck
• Blender • Data Monitoring Van
• Hydration Unit • 20-30 Workers
Groundwater
(50-100 f t)
Vertical Drill
(5,000 – 10,000 ft)
Horizontal well at depth 3000m
Created
Fractures
Ceramic proppants are small "balls", which prevent re-compressed after the hydraulic fracturing of rock and allow gas to flow freely to the extraction.
What are proppants? interior of the fracture
effect of horizontal well fracturing
Źródło: Imerys
Źródło: Imerys
Gas flow
Proppants Proppants are necessary in the process of hydraulic fracturing for extraction of shale gas
and oil from shale rocks
Silica sand
Sand
Resin coated sand
Ceramic proppants
Resin Coated Ceramic
Ultralight
Light
Intermediate
Sintered bauxite
High density
PROPPANTS TYPES
Sand
Resin coated sand
Ceramic proppant
Medium Strenght Bauxite
High strenght bauxite
6,000 7,200 9,500 15,000 PSI 19,500
Quality of Proppants
Better quality of proppants: increases the amount of gas produced, reduces the time and cost of gas extraction.
Sand
Resin coated sand
Lightweight ceramic
proppants(LPC)
Ceramic Proppants: how it works
A proppant is a material that will keep an induced hydraulic fracture open
Extraction of shale rocks need fracturing process – this is pumping fluids with proppants into the
wellbore under very high pressure ( > 600 bar) to make fractures in the rocks and allow gas to flow
Ceramic Proppants: how it works
Large mesh proppants have greater permeability than small mesh proppants at low closure
stresses, but will mechanically fail (get crushed) and produce very fine particulates (“fines”) .
Small fines decrsease the gas flow
High flow Low flow
Well Rounded Ceramic Proppant Poorly Sorted Angular Proppant Sand
Water
Water
Gas Flow
Oil Flow Fines
Proppants production technology
Raw materials
Calcination
Green pellets
screening
Sintering
Pelletization
Milling
Mixing
Air
classification
Proppants
screening
Frac liquid should have appropriate rheological properties that allow for the
maintenance of backfilling grouting material in suspension, and then allow to
reduce the viscosity of the liquid, and after the procedure will allow the liquid to
flow easily into the slot, leaving proppants there
Liquids that have been traditionally used in the fracturing treatment can be divided into:
• gels (highly viscous liquids through the polymer are adding)
• network polymers (high viscosity liquids in obtaining a result of cross-linked gels)
• emulsions (liquid produced by mixing the water with the hydrocarbon liquid)
• foam (formed as a result of aeration gel)
• low flow resustance in pipe
• stable viscosity
• structural strenght
• good transport properties
• chemical inert for proppants
• low costs
Frac fluid’s parameters
Sand means ceramic proppant
All type of frac liquids needs proppants !!!
Source: US EPA, Draft to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water
Some drilling operators elect to re-use a portion of the wastewater. This practice has
the potential to reduce discharges to treatment facilities or surface waters, minimize
underground injection of wastewater and conserve water resources
Water Use in Hydraulic Fracturing
Understanding Fracturing Fluid
Types of frac fluids:
• gelled fluids
• foamed gels
• plain water
• KCl water
• acids
• combination treatments
Source: API
* Sand means ceramic
proppant
*
*
Understanding Fracturing Fluid
Main functions:
• open the fracture
• transport propping agent along the lenght
of the fracture
Desired Properties:
• environmentally friendly (consisting only minerals)
• low wellbore friction pressure
• control leak-off to the rock formation
• transport and suspend proppant until closure
• non-damaging to fracture conductivity
• easy to remove from the formation
Fracturing fluid is a critical component of the hydraulic fracturing treatment
Source: MOMENTIVE fracline
Fracturing Fluid = Base + Additives + Proppant
50th 70th 21st century
63% - The wax-free oil
80% - diesel fuel 90% - water
26% - Bunker oil 15 – 20% - 10%
acetic acid 9,5% - Proppants
8% - Water 0,5 – 1,0% -
emulsifier - Rokacet S-24
0,5% - Chemical Additives
3% - naphthenic soap
Composition of the fluid
What are the common additives?
Scary additives ?...
Component/
Additive Type
Example
Compound Purpose
Acid Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Dissolve minerals, initiate cracs in the rock
Friction reducer Mineral oil, polyacrylamide Minimize friction between fluid and the pipe
Surfactant Isopropanol Increase the viscosity of the fluid
Potassium chloride KCl Create a brine carrier fluid
Gelling agent Guar gum, hydroxyethyl cellulose Thicken the fluid to suspend the proppant
Scale inhibitor Ethylene glycol Prevent scale deposits in the pipe
pH adjusting agent Sodium or potassium carbonate Maintain the effectiveness of other components
Breaker Ammonium persulfate Allow delayed breakdown of the gel
Crosslinker Borate salts Maintain fluid viscosity as temperature increases
Iron control Citric acid Prevent precipitation of metal oxides
Corrosion inhibitor N, N-dimethyl formamide Prevent pipe corrosion
Biocide glutaraldehyde Eliminate bacteria
Most of them can be found in daily life…
Source: API
What are the common additives?
Example
Compound Common Application
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Swimming pool cleaner
Polyacrylamide Water treatment, soil conditioner
Isopropanol Glass cleaner, antiperspirant, hair coloring
Guar gum Thickener in cosmetics, baked goods, ice cream, toothpaste
Ethylene glycol Automotive anti-freeze, deicing agent, household cleaners
Sodium/potassium carbonate Washing soda, detergent, soap, water softener, glass, ceramics
Ammonium persulfate Hair coloring
Borate salts Laundry detergent, hand soap, cosmetics
Citric acid Food additive, food and beverages, lemon juice
N, N-dimethyl formamide Synthetic leather, glue
Glutaraldehyde Disinfectant, sterilization of medical and dental equipment
…all of them is used in household water
Źródło: http://fracfocus.org/water-protection/hydraulic-fracturing-usage
Environmental issues
Estimated Use of Water in the United States 2005
Includes oil and
shale gas production
Thermoelectric Power 41%
Public Supply 12%
Irrigation 37%
Industrial 5% Domestic 1%
Aquaculture 2%
Livestock 1%
Mining
and Oil&Gas 1%
Cleaning of
fracturing fluid
flow back
Providing a
suitable amount
of water
Fluid flow
back
Pumping of
fracturing fluid
Preparation of
fracturing fluid
Water supply
Utilization of
fracturing fluid
flow back
Sludge
Water in hydraulic fracturing process
Fracturing fluid
soil degradation
local pollution of the land located in the vicinity of the drilling
damage to structures located close to the wells
pollution of surface and ground water from the tanks of waste materials
groundwater pollution scrubber
noise
emission of gaseous pollutants to the atmosphere
local seismic low-amplitude
Potential environmental risks
Groundwater protection
Well construction
The primary method used for protecting
groundwater during drilling operations
consists of drilling the wellbore through the
groundwater aquifers, immediately installing a
steel pipe (called casing), and cementing this
steel pipe into place
Source: C.Ewen, D. Borchardt, S. Richter, R. Hammerbacher, Hydrofracking
Risk Assessment, 2012
Environmental impact of proppants production
Made of the environmental impact report did not show excessive impact
Innovative production line using modern technologies results in significant energy savings
An innovative method for heat recovery
Production will not be producing waste
Uses only natural materials
Environmental impact of proppants production
Does not react with the fracturing fluid
The negligible solubility in acids
No reaction with reservoir fluids
The lighter proppants, the less thickening agents used in treating fluid
„Hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to
extract natural gas has no direct connection to
reports of groundwater contamination”
Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Dariusz Janus
CEO, Baltic Cramics investments
T: +48 22 629 12 47
M: +48 728 961 047
www.balticceramicsinvestments.com