Proppant Settling Velocity & Hindered Settling Calculator

Determine terminal downward settling rates (ft/min) for sand and ceramic proppants in Newtonian slickwater and non-Newtonian fracturing gels.

Proppant & Fracturing Fluid Properties

Proppant Mesh Size:

Proppant Specific Gravity (SG): 2.65 = Northern White Sand, 3.5 = Ceramic

Proppant Concentration (PPA - lb/gal added):

Fluid Base Viscosity (cP): 1-5 cP = Slickwater; 50-300 cP = Crosslink

Fracture Fluid Density (lb/gal - ppg):

Fracture Height to Bed (ft):

Proppant Fall Velocity & Bed Dropout

Hindered Settling Velocity v_h:

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Single Particle Stokes v_0:

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Proppant Volume Fraction φ:

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Hindered Retardation Factor:

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Time to Fall 10 ft:

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Particle Reynolds Number Re_p:

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does proppant concentration (PPA) affect settling velocity?

Higher proppant concentrations reduce fall velocity due to hindered settling. At 1 PPA (approx 4.5% volume), settling is reduced by ~20%. At 6 PPA (approx 21% volume), settling velocity drops by over 60% compared to a single free-falling sand grain.

Why did the industry shift from crosslinked gels to slickwater despite faster sand settling?

Slickwater treatments create complex, highly branched fracture networks in low-permeability shales, cause far less residual polymer damage to rock matrix permeability, and are vastly cheaper per barrel than crosslinked guar gels.