Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and techniques for manufacturing proppant or lost circulation material from drilling cuttings. In an example embodiment, a method for manufacturing proppant or lost circulation material from drilling cuttings includes obtaining solid drilling cuttings from drilling fluid, removing any remaining hydrocarbon from the solid drilling cuttings, and rending the solid drilling cuttings into a powder form. The method further includes using the powdered drilling cuttings as raw material in a proppant or lost circulation material manufacturing process. In an example embodiment, the proppant or lost circulation material manufacturing process can be sintering or flame spheroidization.

IPC Classes  ?

• C09K 8/80 - Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
• E21B 21/06 - Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole