Cost advantages of quartz frac sand replacing ceramsite as petroleum proppant

November.30,2023

China’s quartz sand consumption increased from 65×104t in 2015 to 275×104t in 2019, and the proportion increased from less than 46% to 69%, with annual cost savings reaching more than 2 billion yuan.

Tracking and analyzing the initial and long-term (more than 2 years) production dynamics of more than 50 quartz sand test wells and ceramsite comparison wells in Xinjiang Mahu Oilfield. The current results show that the daily production and cumulative production of quartz sand test wells and ceramsite comparison wells are basically the same. , compared with the ceramsite comparison well, the single well cost of the quartz sand test well was saved by 1.35 million to 3.48 million yuan, and the cost of one million tons of production capacity was reduced by more than 300 million yuan, which fully proved that quartz sand is effective and feasible in replacing ceramsite, and demonstrated Broad prospects for economic benefits.

It is estimated that in the next five years, the average number of wells stimulated per year in China will reach 45,000-55,000, the proppant consumption will reach (500-600)×104t/a, and the demand for quartz sand proppant will be 2.5 times the current level. Taking shale gas in southwest China as an example, it is estimated that about 1,800 new horizontal wells will be built by 2025. Based on the current average single well proppant consumption (about 2,700t scale) and current accounting prices (quartz sand cost is about 1,100 yuan/t, ceramsite cost (approximately 2,200 yuan/t), and the cumulative proppant investment is expected to be approximately 11 billion yuan. If quartz sand is used to replace ceramsite, the investment cost is expected to be reduced to less than 6 billion yuan, a drop of more than 40%; if the sand source is localized, the cost is expected to be further reduced, which is of great significance to the low-cost and efficient development of low-grade resources. .