Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals
Modern slickwater and hybrid fracturing depend on getting fluid rheology right at the pump. Our range covers both ends of that job: conventional friction reducers that cut pumping pressure, and high viscosity friction reducer (HVFR) systems that carry more proppant with less water and less gel. Either way, the goal is the same: place a better fracture for less cost per stage.
Where Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals Are Used
- Slickwater and hybrid fracturing in shale and tight-gas plays
- High-rate, high-volume multi-stage horizontal completions
- Fracturing in variable and high-salinity produced or flowback water
- Improving proppant transport and placement across the fracture
Product Range
Friction Reducers
High molecular weight polyacrylamide polymers, typically dosed at 0.5 to 1 gallon per thousand gallons (gpt), that turn turbulent pump flow into something closer to laminar flow. In the field that cuts frictional pressure loss by as much as 70 to 80 percent, which means crews can pump faster at lower treating pressure and lower horsepower.
High Viscosity Friction Reducers (HVFRs)
Run at higher loadings than a standard friction reducer, typically 1 to 10 gpt against 0.5 to 1 gpt, HVFR systems build fluid viscosity into the 30 to 80 cP range. That added viscoelasticity carries noticeably more proppant than plain slickwater, without the cleanup problems or formation damage that come with cross-linked gel, and it holds up better in variable-salinity water too.
Proppant Suspender
Viscosifying and viscoelastic additives that keep proppant suspended in the fluid as it's pumped and placed. Less settling means more proppant actually reaches and props open the fracture tips, which is what keeps a fracture conductive well after the job is done.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a friction reducer actually do?
It changes how the fracturing fluid moves through the tubing on its way downhole. Without it, fluid pumped at frac rates and pressures moves turbulently; the polymer smooths that into something closer to laminar flow, which is what cuts the pumping pressure needed at surface.
What is the difference between a standard friction reducer and an HVFR?
Mostly loading. A standard friction reducer runs around 0.5 to 1 gpt and adds almost no viscosity to the fluid. An HVFR runs at 1 to 10 gpt, which builds enough viscosity to suspend and carry proppant in a way plain slickwater can't.
Do HVFR systems replace gel systems?
In many slickwater and hybrid designs, yes. HVFR fluids can place proppant close to what a cross-linked gel achieves, but they clean up faster and leave less residue in the formation.