Unconventional hydraulic fracturing in the global market has been on the rise for the past several years. However, one of the main challenge of using proppant to stimulate wells outside of the continental US is the lack of a suitable domestic proppant supply. Import of silica, resin coated or ceramic proppants, is cost prohibitive, and adds a logistical burden to the entire operation.
To improve proppant transport, Oceanit developed NBP using a novel technology to effectively modify the proppant to achieve neutral buoyancy in low viscosity fluids. This gives the proppant the ability to maintain suspension in the fracturing fluids (slick water) and also travel deeper into the fractures without settling. With less proppant settling and greater distribution in the fracture sites, NBP economically increases production.