Winnie Owusu

Ms. Winnie Owusu


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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13 May 2019 in Energies
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
DKDariusz Knez
Dariusz Knez
RWRafał Wiśniowski
Rafał Wiśniowski
WOWinnie Owusu
Winnie Owusu
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.