High performance low residue guar for hydraulic fracturing and other applications

摘要

A process and the guar produced thereby, the guar having superior performance in hydraulic fracturing applications. The guar is produced by first washing, soaking, and prehydrating guar gum splits in hot water. Calcium carbide which is then added to the mixture results in the production of acetylene gas, forcing the guar cells to open during shearing. Shearing the guar gum splits produces flakes, which are then ground and sieved. The fine guar particles produced are spherical in shape, with improved hydration viscosity, and better cross-linking performance than guars presently available. An operator can use twenty-percent (20%) less guar to create the same fracturing geometry, resulting in less formation damage. The improved guar can even be used at ultra low loadings. Further, it leaves less residue after break.