Turning Filling Material into Proppant for Coalbed Methane in Poland—Crush Test Results

Dariusz Knez, Rafał Wiśniowski and Winnie Ampomaa Owusu
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Dariusz Knez: AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Rafał Wiśniowski: AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Winnie Ampomaa Owusu: AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-6

Abstract: The search for unconventional energy resources such as coalbed methane (CBM) is on the rise in Poland due to the demand for energy resources and protection of the environment. CBM production has a lower impact on the environment when compared with coal production. Its development is known to be cost effective due to its use of shallow depths with large gas quantities. Sand is one of the by-products (waste) from open-pit mining operations. Conventional disposal of this material is achieved by storage in heaps and its deployment as landfill as well as filling material for mine pits. This paper investigates the potential use of sand (filler) as a proppant for hydraulic fracturing in coalbed methane formations in Poland through crush test measurements in both single and cyclic loadings. The crush test helps to identify proppant strength under various load applications. Test results show that the sand qualifies for the 4 K (maximum allowable stress is 27.58 MPa) and 3 K (maximum allowable stress 20.68 MPa) crush classifications under single and cyclic conditions, respectively. This finding shows the viability and potential of the investigated sand as a proppant for hydraulic fracturing in shallow coalbed methane formations in Poland. Furthermore, its use could help filler-providing companies to maintain their production level and save jobs. Notably, it would contribute to the reduction of environmental problems associated with the management of waste, such as that from open-pit mining operations.

Keywords: coalbed methane (CBM); proppant; hydraulic fracturing; open pit waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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