Northside: Proppants: It Matters What You Pump

Second only to fracturing fluid, proppants play a major role in the hydraulic fracturing process.  In 2014 alone, roughly 114 billion pounds of raw sand proppant was pumped in the United States.  The trend shows that proppant production and usage is on the rise and will continue to play an important role in the future fracturing process.

Where does natural sand proppant come from?

The mining process is the key to quality, natural product.  Ensuring that everything from the planning stage to drying and sizing is done correctly is critical to the performance of the proppant. 

So, can any type of sand be called a proppant? 

Some engineers have the perception that all proppants are created equal and can produce the same results.  The truth is though, no two proppants are alike.  Each formation that the proppant is produced from has different properties that can either aid or impair a well’s production.

If no two proppants are alike, how can you compare one to another? 

There are specific questions you should ask your proppant supplier to help you establish a baseline comparison of products from one to another.  We will discuss this and what the answers can mean for your well’s production.

Location: Southwestern Energy
10000 Energy Drive
Spring , Texas 77389

Date: Jan. 12, 2016, 11:30 a.m. - Jan. 12, 2016, 1 p.m.