The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 2012
Filed:
May. 19, 2009
Andrew R. Barron, Houston, TX (US);
Robert D. Skala, Katy, TX (US);
Christopher E. Coker, Houston, TX (US);
Dilip K. Chatterjee, Rochester, NY (US);
Yuming Xie, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Andrew R. Barron, Houston, TX (US);
Robert D. Skala, Katy, TX (US);
Christopher E. Coker, Houston, TX (US);
Dilip K. Chatterjee, Rochester, NY (US);
Yuming Xie, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Oxane Materials, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
Proppants having added functional properties are provided, as are methods that use the proppants to track and trace the characteristics of a fracture in a geologic formation. Information obtained by the methods can be used to design a fracturing job, to increase conductivity in the fracture, and to enhance oil and gas recovery from the geologic formation. The functionalized proppants can be detected by a variety of methods utilizing, for example, an airborne magnetometer survey, ground penetrating radar, a high resolution accelerometer, a geophone, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultra-sound, impedance measurements, piezoelectric activity, radioactivity, and the like. Methods of mapping a subterranean formation are also provided and use the functionalized proppants to detect characteristics of the formation.