Controlled method of minimizing radioactive sludge generation in post stimulation flowback and/or produced water treatment from a saltwater, oil and/or gas well
AssigneeEvoqua Water Technologies LLC
InventorsStanley R. Karrs, Richard A. Altman
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a controlled method of minimizing radioactive sludge generation in treatment of wastewater from an oil and/or gas well. The method comprises measuring a concentration of a radioactive material in wastewater to be treated and measuring a concentration of barium in the wastewater to be treated. The method further comprises adding a calculated quantity of sulfate to the wastewater to be treated sufficient to precipitate a quantity of barium sufficient to reduce the concentration of the radioactive material to a level such that sludge precipitated in a secondary precipitation has a radiation level below a defined radiation level.
Claims11
A controlled method of minimizing radioactive sludge generation in post stimulation flowback and/or produced water treatment from a saltwater, oil, and/or gas well comprising:
- measuring a concentration of a radioactive material in wastewater to be treated comprising flowback and/or produced water;
- measuring a concentration of barium in the wastewater to be treated;
- adding a calculated quantity of sulfate to the wastewater to be treated sufficient to reduce the concentration of the radioactive material to a level such that a second sludge precipitated in a secondary precipitation has a radiation level below a defined radiation level;
- precipitating barium sulfate and the radioactive material from the wastewater to be treated to form a radioactive sludge and a partially treated wastewater;
- and
- performing the secondary precipitation on the partially treated wastewater to form the second sludge and a treated wastewater.
A computer-readable storage device containing a set of instructions which when executed on a controller of a wastewater treatment system configured to treat wastewater including post stimulation flowback and/or produced water from a saltwater, oil, and/or gas well causes the controller to perform a method comprising:
- measuring a concentration of a radioactive material in wastewater to be treated comprising flowback and/or produced water;
- measuring a concentration of barium in the wastewater to be treated;
- adding a calculated quantity of sulfate to the wastewater to be treated sufficient to reduce the concentration of the radioactive material to a level such that a second sludge precipitated in a secondary precipitation has a radiation level below a defined radiation level;
- precipitating barium sulfate and the radioactive material from the wastewater to be treated to form a radioactive sludge and a partially treated wastewater;
- and
- performing the secondary precipitation on the partially treated wastewater to form the second sludge and a treated wastewater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.