Proppants for hydraulic fracturing technologies

Abstract

The invention is directed to systems and methods for forming and using proppant particles having desirable attributes.

1 . A treatment fluid for treating a subterranean formation, the treatment fluid comprising an aqueous fracturing fluid and composite proppant particles, wherein the suspended composite proppant particles are suspended in the fracturing fluid and wherein the composite proppant particles comprise: a proppant particulate substrate, an inner polymeric coating deposited on the particulate substrate wherein the inner polymeric coating comprises an adhesive polymer, and an outer polymeric coating deposited upon the inner polymeric coating or on an optional intermediate coating, wherein this outer polymer coating is selected so that during transport of the treatment fluid through the subterranean formation, this outer polymer coating distends and imparts hydrophilic properties to the composite proppant particles. 
     
     
         2 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the outer polymeric coating is further selected so that when the composite proppant reaches its destination within the fracture, this outer polymer coating rearranges itself to expose the inner polymeric layer, thereby enabling multiple composite proppant particles to fix themselves to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The treatment fluid of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         4 . A treatment fluid for treating a subterranean formation, the treatment fluid comprising an aqueous fracturing fluid and composite proppant particles, wherein the composite proppant particles are suspended in the fracturing fluid and wherein the suspended composite proppant particles comprise: a proppant particulate substrate, an inner polymeric coating deposited on the particulate substrate wherein the inner polymeric coating comprises an adhesive polymer, and an outer polymeric coating deposited upon the inner polymeric coating or on an optional intermediate coating, wherein the inner and outer polymer coatings are selected so that
 (a) during transport of the treatment fluid through the subterranean formation, this outer polymer coating distends and imparts hydrophilic properties to the composite proppant particles, and   (b) this outer polymer coating remains substantially intact until these composite proppant particles have been conveyed to their destinations in the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         5 . A treatment fluid comprising an aqueous fracturing fluid and composite proppant particles, wherein the composite proppant particles are suspended in the fracturing fluid and wherein the suspended composite proppant particles comprise:
 a proppant particulate substrate,   an inner polymeric layer made from a first polymeric material deposited on the particulate substrate, and   a distended hydrophilic outer coating layer made from a second polymeric material deposited upon the first layer, wherein the second polymeric material is selected so that   (a) when this outer coating layer is exposed to the aqueous fracturing fluid, it distends and imparts hydrophilic properties to the suspended proppant particles, and   (b) the outer coating layer protects the inner polymeric layer from the fluid in the fracture.   
     
     
         6 . A method for fracturing a subterranean geological formation comprising introducing into the formation the treatment fluid of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A method for fracturing a subterranean geological formation comprising introducing into the formation the treatment fluid of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         8 . A method for fracturing a subterranean geological formation comprising introducing into the formation the treatment fluid of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         9 . A method for fracturing a subterranean geological formation comprising introducing into the formation the treatment fluid of  claim 5 .