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About UsYangquan jinyulong ceramsite sand Co., Ltd. was established on March 31, 2012, with a registered capital of 50 million yuan and a total investment exceeding 100 million yuan. It is a specialized manufacturer of fracturing proppants (ceramsite sand) for oil and gas wells.
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ProductThe company currently has an annual production capacity of 90,000 tons of ceramic proppant sand and 150,000 tons of processed alumina powder. Utilizing both ore and slag materials, along with advanced production processes and proprietary formulations, the company is capable of producing high-strength, high-quality ceramic proppant sand.
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EquipmentThe main production equipment includes: two 500×750 jaw crushers, two 2.4×2.5 ball mills, two 2.4×8 ball mills, four 4.5×1.2 pelletizers, eight 2.4×1.7 pelletizers, two 2.2×14 drying kilns, two 2.4×18 cooling kilns, and two 3.2×50 rotary kilns.
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ServiceOur company’s products are not only best-selling across China but are also exported to overseas markets, including Cuba, Australia, South Africa, and many other countries.
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BlogOur company consistently adheres to strict management and the pursuit of excellence, providing our customers with high-quality, reliable products and satisfactory services, and contributing to China’s petroleum production.
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Yangquan jinyulong ceramsite sand Co., Ltd. was established on March 31, 2012, with a registered capital of 50 million yuan and a total investment exceeding 100 million yuan. It is a specialized manufacturer of fracturing proppants (ceramsite sand) for oil and gas wells.
Unveiling Oil Fracturing: The Role of Ceramic Proppants
2026-05-21
During the extraction of oil and natural gas, subsurface hydrocarbon resources often prove difficult to exploit efficiently due to tight formations and low permeability. To overcome this challenge, hydraulic fracturing has emerged as a key technology, with ceramic proppants serving as its core component—thanks to their unique properties, they have become the unsung heroes driving increased oil and gas production. Now, let’s step into the world of oil‑field fracturing and unveil the mysteries of ceramic proppants.
I. Hydraulic Fracturing: The “Key” to Opening Oil and Gas Flow Paths
Hydraulic fracturing is a technique that uses high-pressure injection of water‑based or chemical fracturing fluids to create fractures in underground rock formations. Its principle is similar to cutting rock with a high‑pressure water jet: when the fracturing fluid is pumped into the wellbore at extremely high velocity, the pressure at the bottom of the well rises rapidly. Once this pressure exceeds the rock’s strength, fractures are “torn open” along weak zones. However, simply opening fractures is not enough to achieve long‑term production enhancement—if the fractures close again under formation pressure after pumping stops, all prior efforts will be wasted. This is where proppants come into play: they are carried into the fractures by the fracturing fluid and wedge themselves between the rock layers like miniature jacks, preventing the fractures from closing and thereby establishing permanent, highly conductive flow channels that allow oil and gas to flow smoothly into the wellbore.
II. Ceramic Proppant: An Outstanding “Crack Guardian”
Ceramic proppant is an artificial ceramic particle made primarily from bauxite and produced through high‑temperature sintering. Compared with traditional quartz sand, it offers four key advantages:
1. High Strength and Thermal Stability: Ceramic proppant can achieve a compressive strength exceeding 86 MPa and withstand temperatures above 150°C, maintaining structural integrity even under the extreme pressures of deep wells. For example, in shale‑oil hydraulic fracturing operations at the Changqing Oilfield, fractures propped with ceramic proppant retained more than 80% of their conductivity after three years.
2. Low Density and High Flow Conductivity: By optimizing the formulation, the density of ceramic proppant can be reduced to as low as 1.65 g/cm³, approaching the density of water, thereby minimizing drag on the fracturing fluid. Meanwhile, its spherical structure increases fracture permeability by more than 30%.
3. Resistance to crushing and corrosion: Under confining pressure, the crush rate of ceramic proppant is less than 5%, and its acid solubility is only 3%–5%, significantly exceeding industry standards, thereby effectively extending the service life of oil and gas wells.
4. Environmental characteristics: During the production of ceramic proppant, manganese can be added to lower the sintering temperature and reduce energy consumption, while its chemical stability helps prevent groundwater contamination.
Technological Innovation: From “Grouting” to “Precision Sand Placement”
The application of ceramic proppant is not merely a matter of simple packing; it requires precise design in conjunction with fracturing operations. For example, in multi‑stage hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells, engineers adopt a “segmented proppant placement” strategy based on formation characteristics:
In the early stage, a low-viscosity fracturing fluid is used to carry small‑size ceramic proppant (0.1–0.3 mm) deep into the distal fracture, thereby establishing a foundational support network.
In the later stage, a high-viscosity fluid is injected to deposit coarse‑grained ceramic proppant (0.4–0.8 mm) near the wellbore, thereby enhancing conductivity through the dynamic fracture width.
This “distant‑first, near‑later; small‑first, large‑later” proppant placement strategy can increase fracture conductivity by more than 50%. Moreover, the advent of coated ceramic proppant has further overcome key technical barriers: by coating the surface of ceramic proppants with resins or polymers, their strength is enhanced by 20% and they can withstand higher closure pressures, making them suitable for ultra‑deep well development (greater than 5,000 meters).
III. Application Scenarios: Comprehensive Coverage from Conventional to Unconventional Oil and Gas
Ceramic proppants have been widely used in the development of various oil and gas reservoirs.
Conventional oil and gas fields: In ultra-deep wells in the Tarim Basin, proppant‑supported fractures have increased single-well daily production from 5 to 20 tons and improved recovery by 15%.
Shale Gas Development: In shale gas wells in the Sichuan Basin, the integration of ceramic proppant with chemical temporary‑plugging diversion fracturing has enabled multiple fracture extensions, resulting in a cumulative production exceeding 100 million cubic meters per well.
Tight oil reservoirs: In the Ordos Basin, the use of low-density ceramic proppant (density < 1.5 g/cm³) has reduced fracturing fluid consumption by 30% and lowered operational costs by 25%.
IV. Industry Outlook: Dual Drivers of Sustainability and Efficiency
As global energy demand grows and the “dual carbon” goals gain momentum, ceramic proppants are evolving toward higher performance and greater environmental sustainability. For instance, substituting part of the bauxite with industrial solid wastes—such as manganese slag and coal gangue—both reduces costs and promotes resource recycling; meanwhile, nano‑modification technologies have boosted the flow conductivity of ceramic proppants to over 100 Darcy, meeting the demands of ultra‑low permeability reservoir development. Market forecasts project that by 2030, the global high‑performance ceramic proppant market will reach US$5 billion, with an annual compound growth rate exceeding 8%.
From deep wells to shale formations, and from conventional to unconventional reservoirs, ceramic proppants are leveraging their “small particles” to unlock “big energy.” They are not only a cornerstone of hydraulic fracturing technology but also the embodiment of human ingenuity in overcoming geological constraints and advancing sustainable development. Looking ahead, as materials science and fracturing techniques continue to converge, these “ceramic micro‑particles” will undoubtedly inject even greater momentum into global energy security.
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Address: Longzhuang Village, Jucheng Town, Pingding County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province
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Address: Longzhuang Village, Jucheng Town, Pingding County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province
Contact: General Shu