CARBO Ceramics Inc. has announced the successful use of KRYPTOSPHERE LD, its ultra-conductive, low-density ceramic proppant technology, in the Utica for Consol Energy, a leading Appalachian basin producer. This is the first well to utilize KRYPTOSPHERE LD and joins KRYPTOSPHERE HD as another product in the KRYPTOSPHERE ultra-conductive proppant technology platform to maximize hydrocarbon flow for the life of the well.
In its first application, KRYPTOSPHERE LD was used at a depth of approximately 13,500 feet. Under these stress conditions, this technology was selected for its better economics, strength, improved proppant transport and increased propped fracture volume. KRYPTOSPHERE LD eliminated the need for gel and cross-linked fluids, leading to a reduction in overall completion cost.
Initial production from the first well using KRYPTOSPHERE LD was prolific, flowing more than 61.9 MMcfd of natural gas in a 24 hour period and making it one of the highest producing wells in the Utica to date.
KRYPTOSPHERE LD is engineered to have the same characteristics as KRYPTOSPHERE HD – mono-sized with exceptional strength, durability and smoothness – providing high conductivity across the entire range of low to high stress well conditions. It significantly exceeds the conductivity of existing low-density proppant and reduces costly wear-and-tear on pressure pumping equipment, ultimately providing higher production and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR).
In addition, the KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology provides higher conductivity, improved proppant transport and increased propped fracture volume compared to intermediate-density and bauxite ceramics.
“Integrating KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology into our completion design is an example of how Consol Energy has achieved the completion efficiency that has allowed us to showcase three of the top ten dry Utica well results to-date across the industry,” remarked Kirby Walker, director of Regional Operations, Consol Energy.
“Commercializing innovations like KRYPTOSPHERE LD that lower the operator’s cost to produce oil and gas is a necessity in today’s challenging environment,” added Don Conkle, vice-president of Sales and Marketing, CARBO. “Working with leading operators such as CONSOL Energy who make it possible to introduce such technologies affirms the investment CARBO is making in technologies that improve reservoir recovery and F&D costs.”
CARBO focuses on integrating technologies to produce engineered solutions in its Design, Build, and Optimize the Frac technology businesses, delivering important value to E&P operators by increasing well production and EUR.
KRYPTOSPHERE LD ultra-conductive, low-density ceramic proppant
KRYPTOSPHERE LD ultra-conductive, low-density ceramic proppant technology significantly exceeds the conductivity, compressive strength and durability of existing low-density proppant.
In addition, KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology provides comparable and, in many cases, higher conductivity than intermediate-density and bauxite ceramics while delivering improved proppant transport and increased propped fracture volume.
The higher flow rates and larger propped volume increases recovery and return on investment, thereby lowering finding and development costs per barrel of oil equivalent.
Features
- Precision-engineered, strong, durable, round, mono-sized and smoother proppant grains
- Single-mesh-sized product manufactured to any size required to suit well conditions
- Significantly higher baseline conductivity compared to typical intermediate and low-density ceramic proppant
- Extraordinary strength and durability compared to standard low-density ceramic proppant
- Excellent roundness, sphericity and smoothness for less erosivity
Benefits
- Creates a frac with more uniform pore throats and more space for hydrocarbon flow
- Maintains the highest flow rates and levels of conductivity for the productive life of the frac
- Reduces flow path tortuosity to reduce non-Darcy impacts and improve overall conductivity
- Improved proppant transport and higher propped volume compared to intermediate-density proppant
- Significantly less erosion during pumping and minimizes wear-and tear on equipment and tools
- A step-change in performance
KRYPTOSPHERE LD ultra-conductive, low-density ceramic proppant technology has been developed to provide the highest levels of production and recovery across the entire range of low and high stress conditions.
The technology maintains higher levels of conductivity at higher closure stresses than sand and conventional ceramic proppant.
Sustains conductivity after stress-cycling
KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology has a high crush-resistance and withstands stress-cycling to ensure that fracture conductivity, integrity and connectivity are sustained long-term to optimize production.
Lower beta factor and pressure drop
The spherical, smooth and uniform size characteristics of KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology results in more consistent flow paths and minimizes the pressure drop due to non-Darcy flow effects across the fracture.
This further enhances flow rates and ultimate recovery.
KRYPTOSPHERE LD
KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology has an exceptionally low and uniformly distributed internal porosity which creates a proppant with extraordinary compressive strength. The result is a proppant with the density advantages of an LDC, but with superior compressive strength and durability compared to the standard LDC and IDC proppant employed in many reservoirs.
Standard high-strength proppant (bauxite)
High internal porosity with irregular distribution dramatically reduces strength leading to the creation of fines that rapidly reduce conductivity and production. Even in the highest quality IDC and bauxite, this results in reduced compressive strength and durability compared with KRYPTOSPHERE LD technology.
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