Frac Sands

Making
Frac Sand
In Spec
John Getty, MS, Instructor II and Lab Director
Petroleum Engineering, Montana Tech
1
2013 John Getty, Montana Tech
Topics for Discussion
Where the money is
How Frac Sand is Evaluated
Testing for Exploration
Testing for Production
Published Standards
2
Shale gas provides the largest sources of
growth in U.S. natural gas supply
Figure 91. Natural gas production by source, 1990-2040 (trillion cubic feet)
From Energy Information Administration DOE/EIA-0383(2013) Annual Energy Outlook 2013, April 2013 3
Lower 48 onshore tight oil development
spurs increase in U.S. crude oil production
million barrels per day
Figure 96. Domestic crude oil production by source 2000-2040 (million bpd)
From DOE/EIA-0383(2013) Annual Energy Outlook 2013, April 2013, pg 81
4
Tight oil formations account for a significant
portion of total U.S. production
million barrels per day
Figure 97. Total U.S. tight oil production by geologic formation, 2008-2040
From DOE/EIA-0383(2013) Annual Energy Outlook 2013, April 2013, pg 82
5
North American Shale Gas and Frac Sand
-Frac Sand Mine
Shale gas graphic courtesy of Emily Cooper, www.cooperhawk.com, 2012 6

North America at Night
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/712129main_8247975848_88635d38a1_o.jpg 7
North America at Night
Regina
Bakken
Minneapolis
Bismark
Billings
8
Proppant
n. Particles used to prop open a fracture
induced in an oil and gas reservoir via
hydraulic fracturing treatment.
US Silica 20/40 Saint-Gobain, 12/18 Interprop

Ottawa White Intermediate Strength Ceramic
9
10
Proppant Characteristics
Natural Characteristics Things we cant control
Particle roundness and sphericity
Particle strength crush resistance
Density
Acid Solubility
Processed Characteristics Things we can control

Quality (amount of fines and impurities)
Particle size (sieve distribution)
11
Required RP19C Protocols
for Exploration, Production and Marketing
Protocol E P M
Minerology (99% Silica) (Not API Spec)

Sieve Analysis (6)

Sphericity and Roundness (7)

Acid Solubility (8)

Turbidity (9)

Densities (Bulk, App, Abs) (10)

Crush-Resistance(11)

Loss on Ignition (12) (Resin coat only)

Sampling and Sample Handling
ISO 13502-2 (API RP19C) 4 and 5
Collection methods
Frequency
Bagging
Splitting
Record keeping
(ISO 13502-2 1 thru 3; Scope, Normative References, Abbreviations)

13
Sample Segregation
Very specific sampling protocol designed
to ensure sample is representative
Significant effects on results of
Sieve analysis
Crush results
Cluster Count
Sphericity and Roundness
Can make in-spec material appear to be
unacceptable (and visa versa)
14
Proppant Size Designation 20/40
20
40
15
Sieve Analysis (Particle Size)
ISO 13503-2 6
16
Sieve Results
Proppant weight 92 g API Size 20/40
Sieve Size 16 20 25 30 35 40 50 Pan
Original weight 321.7 315.0 305.5 307.6 295.5 285.1 277.5 355.1
10 min test 322.2 317.4 329.1 325.9 320.1 305.5 279.3 355.9
Grams in cut 0.5 2.3 23.6 18.3 24.6 20.4 1.8 0.8 92.3 g returned
Frequency (=n) 0.5% 2.5% 25.5% 19.8% 26.7% 22.1% 1.9% 0.9%
% in range 94.1% 0.36% Error
Mesh (um) 1190 841 707 595 500 420 397 0
Average size (=d) 1440 1016 774 651 547.5 460 408.5 198.5 um
n*d 7.8 25.6 197.6 129.0 146.0 101.7 8.0 1.7 617.4 Mean Dia (um)
Grams In Cut PreviousSieve+This Sieve

Freq= AveSize=
Grams Returned 2
Mean Diameter, d ave

nd
n
17
Sieve Distribution Line Graph
40 20
mesh 35 30 25 mesh
50 16
Data pairs consist of cut mid-point and frequency

18
Imaging Particle Size Analyzer
19
Image from Retsch/Horiba Camsizer brochure (no endorsement implied)
One image PSA Results
(of 1,000s)
Frequency
Plot
Computes
Sphericity
and
Roundness
from the
same images
20
Importance of Sieve Analysis
Exploration Production
covers a broad range Regular schedule is
of sizes (usually not a part of QC program
API) Can detect process
Determines cut issues
fractions (and Sizing input can
economics) reveal changes in
Characterizing each source material.
cut can be Costly, but critical
informative Commonly checked
at the well head
21
Sphericity and Roundness
ISO 13503-2 7
Examine 20 randomly selected particles

Grade each particle on Roundness
Grade each particle on Sphericity
Find the arithmetic mean for each
characteristic
22
Proppant shape
Increasing Sphericity
Increasing Roundness
(from Krumbein/Schloss) 23
Micrograph of Part#
1
Spher Round
0.9 0.5
2 0.9 0.9
> 20 particles 3
4
0.5 0.5
0.7 0.5
5 0.7 0.9
6 0.9 0.9
8 10
7 0.5 0.7
19 8 0.5 0.3
20 9 0.7 0.7
10 0.5 0.5
1 18 5 11 0.7 0.9
2 4
12 0.7 0.7
3 13 0.5 0.3
12 9 7 14 0.7 0.7
14 11 15 0.7 0.9
6
17 16 0.7 0.7
13 17 0.7 0.5
15 18 0.5 0.7
16 19 0.9 0.9
20 0.5 0.5
Photo: Rory Lapka, Montana Tech, 2011
Ave 0.67 0.66
24
Crush resistance
ISO 13503-2 11
Sieve material to ensure desired cut
Load the crush cell loose pack
Ramp to desired stress, hold 2 minutes
Sieve to determine fines produced
25
Determine K Value
5k sand
26
Effects of Handling on Crush Results
Boxplot of Std, 2Min, Jarring, Bluv, Pluv
11
10
8
Percent Crush
7
Data
2
Std 2Min Jarring Bluv Pluv
Handling Protocol (n=10)

Bulau, C., Getty, J., The Effects of Handling on the Measured Crush Strength of Proppant, Undergraduate
Research Project, Montana Tech, May 2013
Acid Solubility
ISO 13503-2 8
Soak the proppant sample in a 12:3 mixture
of Hydrochloric (HCl) and Hydroflouric (HF)
acids, at 150 F for 30 minutes.
Serves to confirm mineralogy
Silica has very low solubility
Everything else dissolves
API standard is <2%
http://www.ce.gxnu.edu.cn/organic/net_course/content
/Crystallization/Filtration.htm
28
Turbidity (Fines and Impurities)
ISO 13503-2 9
Determines the amount of suspended

particles or other finely divided matter.
29
Density
ISO 13503-2 10
Bulk Density
How much can we get in a rail car?
Apparent density
Excludes extra-granular porosity
Used to compute frac fluid densities
Absolute density
Grain density, or specific gravity, of the matrix
Sand =2.65g/cc
Ceramic =2.8g/cc 3.2g/cc
Novel materials, goal: =1.0g/cc (=water)
30
US Silica 20/40 Ottowa
Presented here as an example only. Taken from a data sheet

provided by US Silica, Jan 2012. Specs may not be current. 31
Conductivity Measurements
ISO13503-5/API RP 19D
Obtaining these
measurements at
StimLab earns an
entry in their data
base, which is
used by a large
number of O&G
operators.
http://archive.carboceramics.com/English/tools/topical_ref/tr_stress.html, accessed 2Jun13
32
Required RP19C Protocols
for Exploration, Production and Marketing
Protocol E P M
Minerology (99% Silica) (Not API Spec)

Sieve Analysis (6)

Sphericity and Roundness (7)

Acid Solubility (8)

Turbidity (9)

Densities (Bulk, App, Abs) (10)

Crush-Resistance(11)

Loss on Ignition (12) (Resin coat only)

Making Frac Sand In Spec
ISO13503-2 (2006) plus Amendment 1 (2009)
Protocol Spec
Sieve Analysis (6) (btwn 1st & 2nd Primary) 90%
Sphericity and Roundness (7) (sand) 0.6, 0.6
Acid Solubility (8) <2%
Turbidity (9) <250NTU
Densities (Bulk, App, Abs) (10) No spec
Crush-Resistance(11) (rec. for sand) >2000psi
Loss on Ignition (12) No spec

Thank you. Questions?
35
http://www.phudpucker.com/images/oilpatch/Flare-1%20small.jpg
Proppant Testing Labs
Anderson Engineering Assured Testing Services
2417 W. Main St., Suite 1A 198 River Road
Bozeman, MT 59718 Ridgway Pa 15853
(406) 585-1484, bozeman@andersonmontana.com 814.773.3224, sales@assuredtestingservices.com
Thomas Turf Services, Inc FracTAL

11183 State Highway 30 1217 Bandana Boulevard North
College Station, TX 77845 St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
979-774-1600, soiltest@thomasturf.com 651-842-4214sandsamples@fraclab.com
Proptester, Inc Stim-Lab

7000 N. Broadway, Bldg 2, Suite 202 (580)252-4309
Denver, CO 80221
303-657-5549, thiggins@proptester.com
This list is provided as a courtesy and is not complete. No endorsement

should be assumed. Neither John Getty nor Montana Tech have any
financial interest in any of these companies.
36

Frac Sands

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Making

-Frac Sand Mine

Shale gas graphic courtesy of Emily Cooper, www.cooperhawk.com, 2012 6

US Silica 20/40 Saint-Gobain, 12/18 Interprop

Processed Characteristics Things we can control

(ISO 13502-2 1 thru 3; Scope, Normative References, Abbreviations)

Grams In Cut PreviousSieve+This Sieve

Mean Diameter, d ave

Data pairs consist of cut mid-point and frequency

Examine 20 randomly selected particles

Handling Protocol (n=10)

Determines the amount of suspended

Presented here as an example only. Taken from a data sheet

http://archive.carboceramics.com/English/tools/topical_ref/tr_stress.html, accessed 2Jun13

2013 John Getty, Montana Tech

Thomas Turf Services, Inc FracTAL

Proptester, Inc Stim-Lab

This list is provided as a courtesy and is not complete. No endorsement

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