Source: Terves, Inc.XOProp™ is a patent-pending expandable proppant and a part of Terves’ Exalon family of rigid expandables. They contain ultrafine or nano-particles that react with the formation chemistry to permanently expand.

The polymer is semipermeable to the completion water or formation water. This helps control the rate of the reaction as the reactive material embedded in the proppant takes one to two days to fully expand. This expansion is accomplished while retaining permeability, and it is uniform, irreversible, controlled and has the capability to exert forces of over 10,000 pounds per square inch.

The high-performance proppant resists fracture load stresses and exerts a counter-expanding force on the fracture face. It helps combat fracture closure after pumping activity has ceased which helps increase the recovery rate and financial returns over the active life of the well.

Terves is manufacturing XOProp in extruded rod and sphere shapes from 20 mesh down to 100 mesh in size. It can also be molded or fabricated into complex shapes and is currently available in pilot plant quantities for testing.

Advantages:

• Large volumetric expansion in rigid (GPa) high stiffness system
• Ability to expand fractures and apply force while retaining permeability
• Can be produced in 100 mesh to mm sizes
• Stiffness, timing and operating temperature ranges can be tailored
• ~23 percent increase in production over the first several years of well operation