Methods of making nanoparticle coated proppants and use thereof

Abstract

Producing proppants with nanoparticle proppant coatings includes reacting nanoparticles with at least one of an alkoxysilane solution or a halosilane solution to form functionalized nanoparticles and coating proppant particles with unfunctionalized organic resin, a strengthening agent, and the functionalized nanoparticles to produce the nanoparticle coated proppant. The functionalized nanoparticles include nanoparticles having at least one attached omniphobic moiety including at least a fluoroalkyl-containing group including 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctylsilane. The strengthening agent comprises at least one of carbon nanotubes, silica, alumina, mica, nanoclay, graphene, boron nitride nanotubes, vanadium pentoxide, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, or zirconium oxide. Additionally, increasing a rate of hydrocarbon production from a subsurface formation through the use of the nanoparticle coated proppant includes producing a first rate of production of hydrocarbons from the subsurface formation, introducing a hydraulic fracturing fluid into the subsurface formation, and increasing hydrocarbon production by producing a second rate of production of hydrocarbons.