Microwave Proppant · Proppant Payoff

Completion economics sandbox — does the ultra-lightweight additive pay for itself?
Stranded gas in · Proppant out
Permian / Delaware horizontal · illustrative

01 Design the completion

Blend ultra-lightweight carbon proppant into a Permian horizontal, then frac the well.

Lightweight additive blend 2.0 % of proppant
0% · sand only10% · max blend
Additive price 900 \$/ton
\$600\$1,500
Proppant intensity 2,500 lb/ft
1,500 lb/ft3,500 lb/ft
Best net value this session: —

02 The additive decision

Cost of the blend vs. incremental oil it unlocks.

Total proppant12,500 t
Ultra-light additive mass250 t
Additive cost (net of sand)–\$0.22M
Oil uplift vs sand-only+8.8%
Incremental oil (EUR)+61 Mbbl
Incremental value @ \$25/bbl+\$1.53M
Net value of the additive
+\$1.32M
Value : cost ratio 7.0× · payback on the blend spend
Set a blend % and frac the well.

03 Fracture fill — sand only vs. with additive

Lower density (ASG ~1.9 vs 2.65 for sand) → proppant is carried deeper before it settles, so more of the fracture network stays propped open and conductive.

Created fracture Propped & conductive Additive-carried reach
Propped area gain
+0%
Effective reach
+0%
Oil uplift
+0%
Net additive value
\$0

04 Production type-curve

Baseline (sand only) vs. enhanced (with ultra-lightweight additive). Shaded = incremental oil.

Baseline — sand only Enhanced — with additive Incremental oil