Project Title:Self Reducing High Strength Self Suspending Proppant

Participating Enterprise: Beijing Kunlun Longyuan Petroleum Production Technology Co., Ltd.

Award Received:Technological Invention Award - Bronze Award

Achievement Level: International Advanced Level

Project Number: ECF-2025-SET-1012

Main Participants: Ren Longqiang, Wang Guang, Wang Jianbing, Wang Lingyao

Expert Review Comments:
International advanced level. This project addresses key challenges in unconventional oil and gas fracturing operations, including the fragility of proppants, difficulty in sand transport, and high fracturing friction. It innovatively developed a self-drag-reducing, high-strength, self-suspending proppant that organically couples proppant and drag-reducing agent functions. The product features self-suspension, high strength, and low formation damage, effectively enhancing long-distance proppant transport and comprehensive fracture support capability.
In slickwater fracturing operations, the product demonstrates excellent suspension and compressive performance, significantly improving fracturing effectiveness and reducing reservoir damage. Initial field applications have achieved positive results. The project shows strong innovation and practicality, providing a novel material solution for deep shale gas and high-stress reservoir stimulation, with high industrialization and promotion potential.

Main Innovations:

The self-drag-reducing, high-strength, self-suspending proppant is a new type of fracturing proppant distinguished by its ability to naturally suspend in clear water without the need for thickeners or polymeric water-absorbing agents. Major technological innovations have been achieved in self-suspension technology, high-strength design for seamless entry into microfractures, clear-water sand-carrying capability, and risk reduction in sand plugging and construction cost.
It effectively solves the challenge of long-distance, high sand-ratio transport in low-viscosity fluid systems, realizing suspension of proppant in clear-water carrying systems, thereby enhancing fracturing performance and single-well productivity in unconventional oil and gas fields. Its application not only simplifies the fracturing process and reduces water consumption—suitable for low-water fracturing—but also lowers costs and environmental impact, offering excellent application prospects and promotion value.

Main Uses and Technical Principles:

The product possesses unique characteristics, including self-suspension, high-strength support, environmental protection, and enhanced oil and gas production. Its main applications include horizontal well complex network-volume fracturing, supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing, clear-water fracturing systems, and operations under complex geological conditions.
Through surface “gas-philic” modification of the proppant, air contacts the proppant during mixing, and gas spontaneously encapsulates sand particles. Microbubbles adhere to each proppant grain, reducing the relative density of the proppant and effectively solving the problem of long-distance, high sand-ratio transport in low-viscosity fluid systems. This realizes proppant suspension in clear-water carrying systems, enhancing fracturing performance and single-well output in unconventional oil and gas fields.
Its application not only simplifies fracturing operations and reduces water usage—suitable for low-water fracturing—but also lowers costs and environmental pollution, providing a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution for oil and gas field development.

Technical Applications:

In October 2023, the 40/70 mesh, 52 MPa gas-suspension proppant developed and produced by Beijing Kunlun Longyuan Petroleum Production Technology Co., Ltd. was first applied in the Da’an shale gas block of Zhejiang Oilfield. The sand-carrying fluid was prepared using flowback fluid and drag-reducing agent, alternately injecting conventional quartz sand proppant and gas-suspension proppant.
As of April 18, cumulative gas production reached approximately 4.2 million cubic meters, with daily gas production exceeding 100,000 cubic meters—significantly higher than adjacent comparison wells.

On November 28, 2024, the company’s self-suspending proppant was applied in the Dagang area by the Downhole Technology Service Branch of CNPC Bohai Drilling Engineering Co., Ltd. As of December 27, 2024, on-site acceptance confirmed that particle size, sphericity, and acid solubility all met standard and design requirements. The proppant demonstrated stable compressive performance, with a crushing rate below the industry standard limit.
Suspension performance tests indicated uniform dispersion and long suspension duration in gas–liquid mixed systems without obvious sedimentation or stratification. Field application results were excellent: smooth pumping during fracturing, high sand-carrying efficiency, high proppant integrity after flowback, and good conductivity retention. The product exhibits stable performance, meets construction process requirements, and is suitable for broader application in similar reservoirs.