Recovery of Barite from Shale Gas Produced Water for Reuse in Drilling Operations
This technology utilizes a controlled mixing system that blends produced water from hydraulic fracturing with acid mine drainage to precipitate barium sulfate under exacting conditions. By maintaining a barite saturation index between 2.5 and 4.25 and a pH below 5—with sulfuric acid added to manage sulfate levels—the process achieves rapid precipitation and effective radium removal (over 99%), forming high-density strontian barite around 4.3 g/cm³. The setup incorporates mixing reactors, a flocculation tank, a settling tank, and a sludge recycling mechanism, where the recycled barite acts as a seed to promote larger particle growth that meets American Petroleum Institute standards for drilling fluid weighting agents.
Description
What sets this approach apart is its innovative circular solution that converts waste streams into valuable resources while addressing environmental concerns. By recovering nearly pure barite through a seeded growth process, it demonstrates significant improvements over conventional methods. This method not only reduces treatment costs and reliance on fresh water but also mitigates issues linked to naturally occurring radioactive materials, showcasing a sustainable alternative for shale gas operations.Applications
- Drilling fluid weighting agent- Environmental wastewater treatment
- NORM waste management
- Industrial barite production
- Resource recovery technology
Advantages
- Recovers high-quality barite that meets API standards for drilling applications.- Achieves over 99% radium removal, mitigating challenges associated with naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).
- Utilizes a sludge recycling process to promote seeded particle growth, enhancing particle size and performance.
- Reduces treatment costs and dependence on fresh water by reusing produced and flowback water.
- Mitigates environmental impacts by converting waste streams (AMD and produced water) into valuable resources.