As the industry has moved to the development of deeper reservoirs, drilling and completion equipmenthave undergone significant upgrades to allow for the successful exploitation of these higher pressure,higher temperature applications. Similarly, no conventional proppant can provide the required conductivityat the 20, 000 psi closure stresses (and higher) anticipated in the formations such as those found inthe Lower Tertiary of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. With the development of these reservoirs, whetherin the GOM or other offshore applications, there now exists a gap in downhole proppant performance andtechnology.This paper will document and present the results of years of research prompted by deepwater GOMoperators, resulting in a new proppant that has been developed specifically to meet these challenges. Thestep change advancements achieved by this new proppant will be presented, including technologyimprovements in both raw materials and manufacturing process. It will present unique proppant propertiesregarding shape, sizing and strength, never before seen in conventional proppants. The end results is aproppant which exhibits twice the baseline conductivity of any conventional proppant at these highstresses, and provides additional advantages with increased durability and longevity. Extensive laboratorytesting has been completed to demonstrate the superior performance in harsh conditions, and will bepresented.The paper will also review the potential applications for this product, which should result in increasedproduction rates, superior EUR, lower erosivity and reduced equipment wear. Field applications are beingevaluated and will be discussed.This paper should be beneficial to all engineers and technologists currently working in the deep, highstress offshore environments of the GOM’s Lower Tertiary or comparable applications.
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