Frac Ball

One of the tools used by some operators of hydraulic fracturing equipment includes specially sized “frac-balls” which are injected into a well to block or close off portions of a well to allow pressure to build up and cause fracturing in a target section of the well. Frac-balls may be made of various materials, including G-10 (or other related phenolics), Torlon, PEEK, and other high-temperature thermosets or thermoplastics. Typically, the material selected is based upon the operators’ experience and the chemistry and temperatures within the well. Frac-ball sizes are selected specifically to fit within the well-bore or sliding sleeves which vary in diameter as the well sections progress from upper to lower (or end) sections. 

One popular method for creating multiple fractures in a wellbore is the use of frac ports & sliding sleeves. Openhole packers isolate different sections of the horizontal well. A sliding sleeve is placed between each packer pair and is opened by injecting a properly sized fracball inside the borehole. Typically, a completion string is placed inside the well. The string include frac ports and open hole packers spaced to specifications. The spacing between packers may be up to several hundred feet. The packers are actuated by mechanical, hydraulic or chemical mechanisms. In order to activate each sleeve, a properly sized frac-ball is pumped along with a fracturing fluid inside the well. Each ball is smaller than the opening of all of the previous sleeves, but larger than the sleeve it is intended to open. Seating of the fracball exerts pressure at the end of the sliding sleeve assembly, causing it to slide and open the frac ports. Once the port is opened, the fluid is diverted into the openhole space outside of the completion assembly, causing the formation to fracture. 

At the completion of each fracturing stage, the next larger frac-ball is injected into the well, which opens the next sleeve, and so on, until all of the sleeves are opened and multiple fractures are created in the well. The main advantage of this completion technique is the speed of operation (by activating multiple fractures with a single completion string, also reducing cost.

PEEK Balls

PEEK and composites of PEEK are melt processable materials with outstanding performance including high temperature resistance(Can withstand temperatures up to 260 ℃ for a long term), good corrosion resistance, hydrolysis resistance, self lubrication, abrasion resistance, high strength, high precision, dimensional stability,which are widely used in petroleum machinery industry. The PEEK and composites of PEEK developed by our company have been widely used in the production, transportation and other aspects of underground survey, oil drilling tools and petrochemical equipment. We have developed about 100 PEEK accessories such as balls, gasket ring, before and after plug, insulated ring, retainer, Yan Xintao and wear sleeve.