Reduction or removal of sulfates from water
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsRonald M. Matherly, Jiasheng Cao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some waters have high sulfate contents, such as acid mine drainage (AMD), which makes them unsuitable for use in fracturing fluids and difficult to dispose. Such waters may be treated with a solution of barium chloride to react with the sulfate ion of the sulfates and precipitate the sulfates as barium sulfate. Not all of the sulfates needs to be removed for the reclaimed water to be useful in formulating a fracturing fluid. The by-product of the reaction is almost pure barium sulfate, which is an inert, commercially valuable material that may be used in drilling fluids, paint and other industries.
Claims20
A method of reducing or removing at least one sulfate from water comprising:
- contacting water comprising at least one sulfate at a first sulfate concentration with an effective amount of an aqueous solution of barium chloride in an amount effective to react at least part of the sulfate with the barium chloride to form barium sulfate;
- precipitating at least part of the barium sulfate;
- and
- removing the precipitated barium sulfate and recovering water having a second sulfate concentration smaller than the first sulfate concentration.
A method of reducing or removing at least one sulfate from water comprising:
- contacting water comprising at least one sulfate at a first sulfate concentration with an aqueous solution of barium chloride to at least partially react the at least one sulfate with the barium chloride to form barium sulfate, where the concentration of barium chloride in the aqueous solution of barium chloride ranges from about 10 wt % to about 35 wt % where the aqueous solution of barium chloride ranges from about 0.025 vol % to about 3 vol %;
- at least partially separating the barium sulfate from the water;
- recovering water having a second sulfate concentration smaller than the first sulfate concentration;
- and
- formulating a fracturing fluid with the recovered water.
A method of reducing or removing at least one sulfate from water comprising:
- contacting water comprising at least one sulfate at a first sulfate concentration with an effective amount of an aqueous solution of barium chloride in an amount effective to at least partially react the at least one sulfate with the barium chloride to form barium sulfate, where the water is selected from the group consisting of acid mine drainage (AMD), acid metalliferous drainage, acid rock drainage (ARD), ground water, waste water, industry water, oilfield produced water, flowback water, and combinations of these;
- at least partially separating the barium sulfate from the water;
- recovering water having a second sulfate concentration smaller than the first sulfate concentration where the amount of sulfate in the recovered water ranges from about 100 to about 300 mg/L;
- and
- formulating a fracturing fluid with the recovered water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.