Higher performance in realistic conditions

Field trial shows low-density ceramic proppant delivers higher conductivity and value than alternatives.

Low-density ceramic proppant increases production rates by 40-60% in the short-term and 13% in the long-term—generating ~$1.5 million additional value per well.

Low-density ceramic proppant increases long-term conductivity over life of well.

Optimal conductivity improves economics in HPHT well.

Combined sand-ceramic completed wells shown to increase production rates, cash flow and accelerate ROI.

Higher conductivity of low-density ceramic proppant helps improve economics of challenging reservoir.

KRYPTOSPHERE LD reduces completion costs while delivering among Utica’s highest flow rates

Develop integrated solutions to optimize well performance and optimize returns with CARBO's innovative fracture and proppant technologies. 

Increase your production and optimize your frac with CARBO's production-enhancing technology

Nearly all of the proppant available on the market today can be classified into one of three tiers – sand, resin-coated sand and ceramic. The products contained in these three tiers have served the industry well and have typically covered the broad spectrum of applications required by completions engineers.

As the industry has moved to the development of deeper reservoirs, drilling and completion equipment have undergone significant upgrades to allow for the successful exploitation of these higher pressure, higher temperature applications.

Production of hydrocarbons in deep water reservoirs involves the economical flow of hydrocarbons from the reservoir to the point of sale. One important consideration is effectively preventing / handling solid deposits which can be both organic (i.e. paraffin, asphaltenes) and inorganic (i.e. calcite, barite, halite) in nature.

With the advent of the development of lower Tertiary formations in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, a gap in proppant technology was identified at the beginning of the decade. No existing conventional proppant could provide the required conductivity at the anticipated 15,000 psi (and higher) prevailing closure stress. To meet these challenges a new proppant was developed, with the goal of achieving twice the baseline conductivity of any conventional proppant at 20,000 psi.

Field "A" produces from a mixed-wet formation comprising of fine grained silicilite. The field is a sour light tight oil reservoir with permeability range from 0.001 – 0.1 mD, the only way to flow the existing vertical wells is through hydraulic fracs. Historically the wells have been fracced using water based frac fluids, which have caused severe negative consequences related to well integrity and reduced productivity.

The Andrew asset is a strategic hub for BP in the Central North Sea and has been producing from the Palaeocene oil reservoir for the past twenty-two years through a small fixed platform.

The Lower Tertiary Wilcox Julia field is a large resource with low permeability (average 10 mD) and 20 cP in-situ viscosity oil. In order to achieve optimum production rates and ultimate recovery, ultra-high 10,000 psi drawdown is required from a multi-zone fracture stimulated lower completion.

Traditional sand control sizing has typically been based on "standard", wide-sieve gravel distributions (i.e. 20/40, 16/30, etc).

Over 100 billion lbm of proppant are placed annually in wells across the globe, with the majority in unconventional reservoirs. The location of the proppant in these horizontal wells and formations is critical to understanding reservoir drainage, well spacing and stage spacing.

Offshore completions in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) must typically address sand control. Our industry has made significant progress with respect to sand control equipment and implementation.

In the 1940’s experimental fracture treatments were performed without proppant. However in most formations unpropped fractures heal quickly with no sustained benefit, and in 1947 river sand was introduced as proppant.

Evolving technologies are enabling oil and gas operators to use proppants that go deeper into fractures and provide superior conductivity, which results in greater yields and cost savings on frac jobs. The American Oil & Gas Reporter, February 2014

CONSOL Energy integrated CARBO's KRYPTOSPHERE LD ultraconductive, low-density ceramic proppant in the completion program of a well targeting the Utica deep gas horizon underlying its existing Marcellus Shale field in Greene County, Pa. Harts E&P, September 2016