Process for disinfecting and stabilizing production water using in-situ hypobromous acid generation

• US 9,120,966 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: In-Situ Treatment Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Raymond J. Roccon
• Inventors: Roccon, Raymond J
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Aiqun
• Application Number:
  US13/934,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20140011716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 507/269, 166/308.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/605 containing biocides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/66 Compositions based on water or polar solvents C09K8/64 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of reusing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations as a disinfectant. The method includes a) providing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations containing greater than 3 ppm bromide ion; b) adjusting the pH of the waste-water to a pH that renders the fracturing fluid non-scaling, while maximizing the production of hypobromous acid and c) adding a sufficient amount of an oxidizing agent to convert the bromide ion to hypobromous acid to provide a disinfectant solution.

Claims

1. A method of reusing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations as a disinfectant comprising:

a) providing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations containing greater than 3 ppm bromide ion;

b) adjusting the pH of the waste-water with an acid to less than 8.5; and

c) adding a sufficient amount of an oxidizing agent that is different from the acid used in step b) to convert the bromide ion to hypobromous acid to provide a disinfectant solution.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent is one or more selected from the group consisting of ozone, chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, dichloro isocyanuranate, and trichloroisocyanuric acid.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pH is adjusted to less than 7.5.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pH is adjusted to less than 7.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pH is adjusted using hydrochloric acid.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disinfectant solution is blended with other water to provide a fracturing fluid comprising at least 3 ppm bromide.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the pH of the blended water is in a range that minimizes the formation of scale-forming salts.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the free bromine level of the blended water is at least 0.1 ppm.

9. A method of reusing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations as a disinfectant comprising:

a) providing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations containing greater than 3 ppm bromide ion;

b) adjusting the pH of the waste-water to less than 7.5;

c) adding a sufficient amount of an oxidizing agent to convert the bromide ion to hypobromous acid to provide a disinfectant solution;

d) blending the disinfectant solution with other water to provide blended water in a fracturing fluid comprising at least 3 ppm bromide;

e) adjusting the pH of the blended water to a range that prevents the formation of scale-forming salts;

f) maintaining a free bromine level of the blended water of at least 0.1 ppm.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the oxidizing agent is one or more selected from the group consisting of ozone, chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, dichloro isocyanuranate, and trichloroisocyanuric acid.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pH is adjusted to less than 7.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein acid is added to adjust the pH of the waste-water and an oxidizing agent which is different from the acid used to adjust the pH is added simultaneously to the waste-water.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pH is adjusted using hydrochloric acid.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pH of the blended water is in a range that minimizes the formation of scale-forming salts.

15. A method of reusing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations as a disinfectant comprising:

a) providing waste-water resulting from hydrocarbon production operations containing greater than 5 ppm bromide ion;

b) adjusting the pH of the waste-water to less than 8 with an acid;

c) adding a sufficient amount of an oxidizing agent distinct from the acid of step b) to convert the bromide ion to hypobromous acid to provide a disinfectant solution; and

d) blending the disinfectant solution with other water to provide blended water in a fracturing fluid comprising at least 1 ppm bromide.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of e) adjusting the pH of the blended water to a range that prevents the formation of scale-forming salts.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of f) maintaining a free bromine level in the blended water of at least 2 ppm.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the pH of the waste-water is adjusted using hydrochloric acid.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the blending of the disinfectant solution with the other water provides blended water in a fracturing fluid comprising at least 5 ppm bromide.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of e) adjusting the pH of the blended water to a range that prevents the formation of scale-forming salts.