METHOD FOR PRODUCING PROPPANT Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC C09K8/80 C04B35/16 

FIELD: oil and gas industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to proppants—propping agents used in production of oil and gas by hydraulic fracturing. Method includes preparation of charge containing heating of bauxite to temperature from 900 to 1,300 °C. Second component of the charge is unfired low-melting clay in amount of 15 wt % of charge weight. It is naturally dried until moisture content is no more than 5 %. Components of the mixture are ground to obtain particle size of up to 50 mcm, granulated with addition of 0.5 % aqueous solution of carboxymethyl cellulose. Before annealing, the formed granules are dried for 30 minutes at temperature of 200 °C, and annealing is carried out at temperatures from 1,100 to 1,500 °C. Finished proppant is sorted by fractions.

EFFECT: technical result of invention is reduction of power consumption and reduction of granulation time.

1 cl, 1 dwg, 4 ex, 2 tbl