# US 8,464,971 B1 · Fracture water treatment method and system

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- Number: US 8,464,971 B1
- Document ID: US8464971B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/753,310
- Filed: 2013-01-29
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2012-07-27
- Assignees: MBJ Water Partners
- Applicants: MBJ Water Partners
- Inventors: Joseph G. Munisteri
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464971B1

## CPC

- E21B 21/062: {by mixing components}
- C04B 18/023: {Fired or melted materials}
- C09K 8/80: Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
- E21B 43/2607: {Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations}
- E21B 43/267: reinforcing fractures by propping
- B01D 21/10: {Settling tanks with multiple outlets for the separated liquids}
- Y02W 30/91: Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

Methods for creating a proppant of a specific size from a slurry extracted from a fractured hydrocarbon well is provided, including the steps of separating water from the slurry, resulting in a solid stream and a liquid stream; mixing the slurry stream with particulate, resulting in a feed material; fusing proppant material in the feed material; quenching the fused proppant material; breaking the fused proppant material; sizing the broken material for the specific size; and mixing broken material that is not of the specific size with the feed material. A system for performing the method is also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for use in proppant-based well fracturing operations comprising:
a. a first separator including a slurry intake and a slurry output with a first water content;
b. a second separator having a slurry input, positioned to receive slurry from the slurry output of the first separator, and a wet solids output with a second, lower water content;
c. a kiln positioned to remove the slurry output of the second separator and having an output;
d. a quench positioned to receive slag from the output of the kiln;
e. a crusher positioned to receive quenched slag from the quench;
f. a mill positioned to receive crushed material from the crusher;
g. a first screen positioned to receive milled material from the mill, the size of the screen wherein the size of the first screen determines the upper boundary of the proppant size; and
h. a second screen positioned to receive material passed by the first screen, wherein the size of the second screen determines the lower boundary of the proppant size.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system as in claim 1, further comprising a proppant storage silo positioned to receive proppant from between the first and the second screens.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A system as in claim 2 further comprising a blender positioned to receive proppant from the silo.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A system as in claim 3 wherein said first separator includes a water output and further comprising:
a. a water storage tank positioned to receive water from the first separator and
b. a biocide coalescer positioned to receive water from the water storage tank, the coalescer having an output feeding the blender,
c. at least one fracturing pump receiving at least proppant and water from the blender, wherein the fracturing pump produces flow in water for well fracturing operations.