ELEMENTAL degradable technology—used with multistage stimulation system frac balls—provides material that degrades completely within hours or days, eliminating the risk of stuck frac balls and the need to mill them. Because the balls never stick, they never delay or hinder production. By eliminating expensive, time-consuming milling operations, degradable frac balls allow longer horizontal wells to be drilled.
The patented aluminum-based material is stronger than conventional alloys but degrades predictably within hours or days, depending on ball size, temperature, and other downhole conditions. The degradable material disintegrates in water-based stimulation fluids—brines, slick water, linear gels, and cross-linked fluids—without the need for additives.
Microgalvanic electrochemical cells in the material made with ELEMENTAL degradable technology derive their electrical energy from a spontaneous chemical reaction taking place in the cells. This oxidation-reduction reaction accelerates the dissolution process, allowing the balls to fully degrade within hours or days, depending on variables such as ball size and downhole conditions.
Balls made with ELEMENTAL technology degrade predictably in a wide variety of downhole conditions, including pressure, specific gravity, fluid type, and temperature. For example, in temperatures above 250 degF [121 degC], degradation will take place in 1 to 12 hours.
Share This
To download this file you first sign in to your Schlumberger account.
Don't have an account? Click below to get started.
Sign In Sign Up for an accountPremium content requires special account permissions. We need a little more information from you before we can grant you access.
Complete account setup