ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF UTILIZATION OF CERAMIC

PROPPANTS IN TECHNOLOGIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF SHALE GAS

RESOURCES

Warsaw, June 2014

Hydraulic Fracturing the Shale

Extracting shale gas – simplified scheme

Horizontal

drilling

Piping

& Cementing

Pumping

water,

proppants

& chemicals

Gas flow to the

surface

Vertical

drilling

Collecting

&Transporting

gas to pipeline

Creating

fracture in the

rock

Detonation

& Perforation

Recycling

Water

storage

Cleaning

the bed after

fracking Sludge

Chemicals

storage

Proppant

storage

Hydraulic Fracturing the Shale

Typical position for Hydraulic Fracturing:

• 10-20 Pumps • Frac Tanks

• 2-4 Proppant Storage Units • Chemical Storage Truck

• Blender • Data Monitoring Van

• Hydration Unit • 20-30 Workers

Groundwater

(50-100 f t)

Vertical Drill

(5,000 – 10,000 ft)

Horizontal well at depth 3000m

Created

Fractures

Ceramic proppants are small "balls", which prevent re-compressed after the hydraulic fracturing of rock and allow gas to flow freely to the extraction.

What are proppants? interior of the fracture

effect of horizontal well fracturing

Źródło: Imerys

Źródło: Imerys

Gas flow

Proppants Proppants are necessary in the process of hydraulic fracturing for extraction of shale gas

and oil from shale rocks

Silica sand

Sand

Resin coated sand

Ceramic proppants

Resin Coated Ceramic

Ultralight

Light

Intermediate

Sintered bauxite

High density

PROPPANTS TYPES

Sand

Resin coated sand

Ceramic proppant

Medium Strenght Bauxite

High strenght bauxite

6,000 7,200 9,500 15,000 PSI 19,500

Quality of Proppants

Better quality of proppants: increases the amount of gas produced, reduces the time and cost of gas extraction.

Sand

Resin coated sand

Lightweight ceramic

proppants(LPC)

Ceramic Proppants: how it works

A proppant is a material that will keep an induced hydraulic fracture open

Extraction of shale rocks need fracturing process – this is pumping fluids with proppants into the

wellbore under very high pressure ( > 600 bar) to make fractures in the rocks and allow gas to flow

Ceramic Proppants: how it works

Large mesh proppants have greater permeability than small mesh proppants at low closure

stresses, but will mechanically fail (get crushed) and produce very fine particulates (“fines”) .

Small fines decrsease the gas flow

High flow Low flow

Well Rounded Ceramic Proppant Poorly Sorted Angular Proppant Sand

Water

Water

Gas Flow

Oil Flow Fines

Proppants production technology

Raw materials

Calcination

Green pellets

screening

Sintering

Pelletization

Milling

Mixing

Air

classification

Proppants

screening

Frac liquid should have appropriate rheological properties that allow for the

maintenance of backfilling grouting material in suspension, and then allow to

reduce the viscosity of the liquid, and after the procedure will allow the liquid to

flow easily into the slot, leaving proppants there

Liquids that have been traditionally used in the fracturing treatment can be divided into:

• gels (highly viscous liquids through the polymer are adding)

• network polymers (high viscosity liquids in obtaining a result of cross-linked gels)

• emulsions (liquid produced by mixing the water with the hydrocarbon liquid)

• foam (formed as a result of aeration gel)

• low flow resustance in pipe

• stable viscosity

• structural strenght

• good transport properties

• chemical inert for proppants

• low costs

Frac fluid’s parameters

Sand means ceramic proppant

All type of frac liquids needs proppants !!!

Source: US EPA, Draft to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water

Some drilling operators elect to re-use a portion of the wastewater. This practice has

the potential to reduce discharges to treatment facilities or surface waters, minimize

underground injection of wastewater and conserve water resources

Water Use in Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic Fracturing the Shale

Proppant

Storage Units

Hydraulic Fracturing the Shale

Proppant

Storage Units

Hydraulic Fracturing the Shale

Proppant

Storage Units

Hydraulic Fracturing Lewino - Poland

Proppant

Storage Units

Hydraulic Fracturing Syczyn - Poland

ECOLOGY

Understanding Fracturing Fluid

Types of frac fluids:

• gelled fluids

• foamed gels

• plain water

• KCl water

• acids

• combination treatments

Source: API

* Sand means ceramic

proppant

*

*

Understanding Fracturing Fluid

Main functions:

• open the fracture

• transport propping agent along the lenght

of the fracture

Desired Properties:

• environmentally friendly (consisting only minerals)

• low wellbore friction pressure

• control leak-off to the rock formation

• transport and suspend proppant until closure

• non-damaging to fracture conductivity

• easy to remove from the formation

Fracturing fluid is a critical component of the hydraulic fracturing treatment

Source: MOMENTIVE fracline

Fracturing Fluid = Base + Additives + Proppant

50th 70th 21st century

63% - The wax-free oil

80% - diesel fuel 90% - water

26% - Bunker oil 15 – 20% - 10%

acetic acid 9,5% - Proppants

8% - Water 0,5 – 1,0% -

emulsifier - Rokacet S-24

0,5% - Chemical Additives

3% - naphthenic soap

Composition of the fluid

What are the common additives?

Scary additives ?...

Component/

Additive Type

Example

Compound Purpose

Acid Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Dissolve minerals, initiate cracs in the rock

Friction reducer Mineral oil, polyacrylamide Minimize friction between fluid and the pipe

Surfactant Isopropanol Increase the viscosity of the fluid

Potassium chloride KCl Create a brine carrier fluid

Gelling agent Guar gum, hydroxyethyl cellulose Thicken the fluid to suspend the proppant

Scale inhibitor Ethylene glycol Prevent scale deposits in the pipe

pH adjusting agent Sodium or potassium carbonate Maintain the effectiveness of other components

Breaker Ammonium persulfate Allow delayed breakdown of the gel

Crosslinker Borate salts Maintain fluid viscosity as temperature increases

Iron control Citric acid Prevent precipitation of metal oxides

Corrosion inhibitor N, N-dimethyl formamide Prevent pipe corrosion

Biocide glutaraldehyde Eliminate bacteria

Most of them can be found in daily life…

Source: API

What are the common additives?

Example

Compound Common Application

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Swimming pool cleaner

Polyacrylamide Water treatment, soil conditioner

Isopropanol Glass cleaner, antiperspirant, hair coloring

Guar gum Thickener in cosmetics, baked goods, ice cream, toothpaste

Ethylene glycol Automotive anti-freeze, deicing agent, household cleaners

Sodium/potassium carbonate Washing soda, detergent, soap, water softener, glass, ceramics

Ammonium persulfate Hair coloring

Borate salts Laundry detergent, hand soap, cosmetics

Citric acid Food additive, food and beverages, lemon juice

N, N-dimethyl formamide Synthetic leather, glue

Glutaraldehyde Disinfectant, sterilization of medical and dental equipment

…all of them is used in household water

Źródło: http://fracfocus.org/water-protection/hydraulic-fracturing-usage

Environmental issues

Estimated Use of Water in the United States 2005

Includes oil and

shale gas production

Thermoelectric Power 41%

Public Supply 12%

Irrigation 37%

Industrial 5% Domestic 1%

Aquaculture 2%

Livestock 1%

Mining

and Oil&Gas 1%

Cleaning of

fracturing fluid

flow back

Providing a

suitable amount

of water

Fluid flow

back

Pumping of

fracturing fluid

Preparation of

fracturing fluid

Water supply

Utilization of

fracturing fluid

flow back

Sludge

Water in hydraulic fracturing process

Fracturing fluid

soil degradation

local pollution of the land located in the vicinity of the drilling

damage to structures located close to the wells

pollution of surface and ground water from the tanks of waste materials

groundwater pollution scrubber

noise

emission of gaseous pollutants to the atmosphere

local seismic low-amplitude

Potential environmental risks

Groundwater protection

Well construction

The primary method used for protecting

groundwater during drilling operations

consists of drilling the wellbore through the

groundwater aquifers, immediately installing a

steel pipe (called casing), and cementing this

steel pipe into place

Source: C.Ewen, D. Borchardt, S. Richter, R. Hammerbacher, Hydrofracking

Risk Assessment, 2012

Environmental impact of proppants production

Made of the environmental impact report did not show excessive impact

Innovative production line using modern technologies results in significant energy savings

An innovative method for heat recovery

Production will not be producing waste

Uses only natural materials

Environmental impact of proppants production

Does not react with the fracturing fluid

The negligible solubility in acids

No reaction with reservoir fluids

The lighter proppants, the less thickening agents used in treating fluid

„Hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to

extract natural gas has no direct connection to

reports of groundwater contamination”

Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Dariusz Janus

CEO, Baltic Cramics investments

T: +48 22 629 12 47

M: +48 728 961 047

E: d.janus@balticcseramicsinvestments.com

www.balticceramicsinvestments.com