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PEG-based polymer coated proppants in supercritical CO2: A new approach in current fracturing protocols |
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| Authors: | Nabendu B Pramanik Vidyasagar Adiyala Weipeng Wang Feng Liang Pulickel Ajayan George John |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, New York, USA;2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, New York, USA
Contribution: Investigation (equal), Methodology (supporting), Writing - review & editing (supporting);3. Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA Contribution: Formal analysis (supporting), Investigation (equal), Methodology (equal), Visualization (supporting), Writing - review & editing (supporting);4. Aramco Services Company: Aramco Research Center—Houston, Houston, Texas, USA;5. Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA |
| Abstract: | Liquified carbon dioxide (CO2) can be used in hydraulic fracturing fluids to provide nonaqueous alternatives to conventional water-based fluids as it is more environmentally benign and minimizing depletion of natural-source freshwater. However, conventional CO2-based fluids are not sufficiently viscous to suspend proppants that are added to fracturing fluids to hold open subterranean fractures. Because of this reduced ability to suspend proppants, CO2-based fluids have not found its niche yet as future fracturing fluids. Accordingly, a need exists for nonaqueous hydraulic fracturing fluids that adequately support and suspend proppant particles. The present study presents a green alternative of developing a poly(ethylene glycol) based polymers coated proppants which can swell in supercritical CO2 so as to decrease the entire density of the proppant during fracturing process. |
| Keywords: | oil and gas radical polymerization swelling synthesis and processing techniques |