Thermal conductive proppant with self-suspension ability

The in situ mining technology is applied to the exploitation of medium- and low-maturity shale oil, which can use heaters to warm up the oil shale formations and pyrolyze the kerogen. Due to the low thermal conductivity of oil shale, electric heaters need extra equipment to improve heat transfer efficiency. In this study, a thermally conductive proppant is fabricated by coating epoxy-resin and graphite on ceramic proppants for the first time, which could support the fracturing crack and transfer heat. The thermal conduction property of epoxy-resin and graphite coated proppants (EGPs) is 245% higher than that of uncoated proppants, which can transfer more heat to the oil shale formation and accelerate the conversion of kerogen. The adhesive property of EGPs is improved by 47.9% under the load force of 1500 nN, which prolongs the time for the fracture to close. In summary, this novel proppant is expected to assist in-situ mining technology in the production of medium and low-maturity shale oil.