Hexion announces new proppant flowback control additive

HOUSTON -- Hexion Inc. has launched PropShield, a new proppant flowback control additive for the oil and gas industry.

Proppant flowback occurs when well production carries unbonded proppant out of the fracture. This has detrimental effects on the success of a well by causing frac width reduction, wellbore deposition, pump destruction, and surface equipment damage.

With the evolution of completion designs leveraging longer lateral lengths and increased proppant intensity, proppant flowback control has become a critical challenge. In some cases, conventional solutions do not provide the cost-benefit ratio operators are looking for when addressing proppant flowback.

Hexion’s PropShield proppant flowback control additive is an economical liquid agent developed specifically for uncoated frac sand completions. This unique solution is applied at the blender tub on location using a standard liquid additive pump and is suitable for all sand mesh sizes. The PropShield additive is compatible with most commonly used fracturing fluids and is effective at bottom-hole temperatures ranging 90°F-275°F.

“This new solution provides our customers with a cost-effective way to treat proppant flowback, a significant source of cost due to downtime and equipment repairs,” said Jerry Kurinsky, senior V.P. and general manager, Hexion Oilfield Technology Group. “Early adopters have found the product to be very effective in the Permian basin and elsewhere.”

Compared to nearby offset wells, a user in the Permian basin experienced 50% less proppant returned during drillout and over 80% less proppant flowback once the wells were put in production. “The well in which the PropShield additive was utilized produced half the sand that the offset well produced during drillout,” said the completion manager at Centennial Resource Development, “The flowback phase yielded positive results as well.

The well using the PropShield additive averaged 0.5 to 3 gallons/hr of sand recovered, while the offset well averaged 6 to 8 gallons/hr of sand recovered. We were very pleased with the results and will continue to evaluate the PropShield additive in various areas across our acreage,” he added.