# US 2014/0196903 A1 · Method For Removing Contaminants From Wastewater In Hydraulic Fracturing Process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196903 A1 - Document ID: US20140196903A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/204,632 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2010-07-14 - Inventors: Donald Nevin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196903A1 ## CPC - E21B 43/26: by forming crevices or fractures - E21B 43/02: Subsoil filtering - E21B 43/267: reinforcing fractures by propping - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract The method begins drilling a borehole from the surface to an underground shale matrix. A pipe is inserted into the borehole. Openings are created in the pipe in fluid communication with fractures in the shale matrix. The interior surface of at least one section of pipe is coated with a contaminant-capturing substance. Fracturing fluid including water, proppants and various chemicals is pumped through the pipe and into the fractures in the shale matrix. The fluid re-enters the pipe from the shale matrix and moves toward the surface through the coated pipe section where contaminants are sequestered by the coating. Natural gas or oil from the fractured shale then enters the pipe and moves to the surface to be collected. The coated pipe section remains in the ground permanently such that the necessity of disposing of the captured contaminants is eliminated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for removing contaminants from wastewater in a hydraulic fracturing process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) drilling a borehole from the surface to a underground shale matrix containing gas or oil; (b) inserting the pipe into the borehole; (c) creating openings in the pipe in fluid communication with fractures in the shale matrix; (d) coating the interior surface of at least one section of the pipe with a contaminant-capturing substance; (e) pumping fluid under pressure into the fractures in the shale matrix; (f) allowing fluid from the shale matrix to re-enter the pipe and move through the coated pipe section to the surface; (g) allowing natural gas or oil from the shale to enter the pipe and move to the surface to be collected; and (h) leaving the coated pipe section in the ground. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the interior surface of at least one section of the pipe comprises depositing the coating prior to inserting the pipe into the borehole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the interior surface of at least one section of the pipe comprises depositing the coating after inserting the pipe into the borehole. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein contaminants include radionuclides and the step of coating the interior of at least one section of the pipe comprises coating the interior of the at least one section of the pipe with a radionuclide-capturing substance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of coating the interior surface of a second section of the pipe with a contaminant-capturing substance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further comprising the step coating of interior surface of the second section of the piper with a different contaminant-capturing substance than the contaminant-capturing substance coated on the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the second section of the pipe is spaced from the at least one section of the pipe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the borehole has a vertical portion and wherein the at least one section of the pipe is located in the vertical portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the borehole has a vertical portion and wherein the at least one section of the pipe and the second section of the pipe are located in the vertical portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the at least one section of the pipe further comprises the step of increasing the surface area of the interior surface of the at least one section of the piper prior to applying the coating. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the step of increasing the surface area comprises depositing on the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe a material selected from the following group: nanotubes, nanostructures, roughened matrices, mesh and zeolite. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe comprises the step of inserting a liner containing a contaminant-capturing substance into the pipe section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe further comprises the step coating the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe with a second coating of a contaminant-capturing substance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe comprises the step of spraying a contaminant-capturing substance onto the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe comprises the step of depositing resin containing a contaminant-capturing substance on the interior surface of the at least one section of the pipe. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating turbulence in the fluid as the fluid moves through the at least on section of the pipe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of creating turbulence comprises the step of inserting a propeller in the fluid flow. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of creating turbulence comprises the step of creating a protrusion in the interior of the coated pipe section. ### Claim 19 A method for removing contaminants from wastewater in a hydraulic fracturing process comprising the steps of: drilling a borehole from the surface to the underground shale matrix containing gas or oil; inserting a pipe into the borehole; creating openings in the pipe in fluid communication with fractures in the shale matrix; forming fracturing fluid comprising proppants coated with containment-capturing substance; pumping the fracturing fluid containing proppants through the pipe and into the shale matrix such that the proppants lodge in the fractures in the shale; allowing the fluid to re-enter the pipe from the shale matrix and move through the pipe to the surface; and allowing the gas or oil from the fractured shale to enter the pipe and move to the surface to be collected. ### Claim 20 A method for removing contaminants from a fluid flowing through a pipe, the method comprising the steps of: coating the interior surface of at least one section of the pipe with a contaminant-capturing substance; allowing the fluid to move through the coated pipe section; and removing the coated pipe section.