Manager

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite
Mike O’Driscoll
Global Head of Research, Industrial Minerals

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Industrial Minerals

Since 1967, from mine to market: global non-metallic minerals intelligence

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Outline

1. Proppants & hydraulic fracturing snapshot 2. Evolution of fracturing 3. Fracturing process 4. Proppant types 5. Ceramic proppants & raw material feedstock 6. Market demand trends 7. Summary & conclusions

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Bauxite & alumina supply chain context

Non-Metallic uses

Metallic uses

Source: Hill & Sehnke 2007

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Bauxite & alumina supply chain context

Source: Hill & Sehnke 2007

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Proppants & Fracturing Snapshot
Drilling for oil and gas – unconventional deposits

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Proppants & Fracturing Snapshot
Drilling for oil and gas

1,000 ft (305m)

6,000 ft (1,829m)
Source: API Source: Geological Society London

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Proppants & Fracturing Snapshot
Drilling for oil and gas
Propping agent = “proppant” Props open fracture

Permits oil/gas flow (conductivity)

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Evolution of fracturing
1860-1970: early days, small volumes proppant
1860s “oilwell shooting” 1947 Harris/ Clark Stanolind Oil & Gas Co., Hugoton, KS 20,000lbs sand mid-1950s more patents; 3,000 wells/mth; 400 lbs sand, 20/40 mesh 1968 1.5m lb frac, Pan American Petroleum Corp. 1st

1930s “well acidizing”; “pressureparting”

1949 patent filed; excl. lic. Halliburton, Stephens OK, Orchard TX; 100-150lbs, 332 wells; 75% up in output

mid-1960s water as standard; additives; higher volume proppants, & coarser

Proppant Prospects for Bauxite Mike O’Driscoll

Evolution of fracturing