US Patent 7541318 On-the-fly preparation of proppant and its use in subterranean operations

The present invention relates to methods for making proppants on-the-fly during subterranean treatment operations. Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods of preparing proppant on-the-fly comprising providing discrete amounts of a resin mixture that comprises a resinous material and a filler material; placing the discrete amounts of resin mixture into a well bore comprising a treatment fluid; and, allowing the discrete amounts of the resin mixture to substantially cure and form proppant particles while inside the treatment fluid. Other embodiments of the present invention provide methods of fracturing a portion of a subterranean formation using proppant prepared on-the-fly.