Potential for Economic Development of Silica Sand Deposits in Louisiana for Use as Proppant in Hydraulic Fracking

摘要

This preliminary ínvestigation was undertaken to assess the potential for silica sand deposits in the State of Louisiana for the use as proppant sands in the hydraulic fracking operations in Louisiana. The increase in drilling operations in the Haynesville Shale Gas play in northwestern Louisiana, and potential in the Tuscaloosa Shale in south-central Louisiana and in the "Florida" parishes in southeastern Louisiana have increased the need for silica sand as proppant in the hydraulic fracking operations. Two areas were sampled for analysis as proppant. The areas are near Sicily Island, Louisiana, and Aimwell, Louisiana, in the Catahoula Sandstone and in the Amite River Basin. Four samples were collected, two in the Catahoula Sandstone, and two in the Amite River Basin. All four samples show a respectable volume of the bulk composite samples submitted for sieve analysis in the 40/70 sieve fraction. The 40/70 sieve size is the most common grain size used for hydraulic fracking. Each sample was analyzed using International Organization of Standards (ISO) protocol analyses tests ISO 13503-2/API, Section 7, "Proppent Sphericity and Roundness;" Section 8, "Acid Solubility;" Section 10, "Procedures for Determining Proppant Bulk Density, Apparent Density;" and Section 11 "Proppant Crush-Resistance Test." All four samples were within the range of acceptability for the use as hydraulic frack sands.