Patent ID: 8746335

Claim:
A method for removing contaminants from wastewater in a hydraulic fracturing process comprising the steps of: drilling a borehole from the surface to the underground shale matrix containing gas or oil; inserting a pipe into the borehole; creating openings in the pipe in fluid communication with fractures in the shale matrix; forming fracturing fluid comprising proppants coated with a contaminant-capturing substance; pumping the fracturing fluid containing proppants coated with the contaminant-capturing substance through the pipe and into the shale matrix; allowing the fluid to re-enter the pipe from the shale matrix and move through the pipe to the surface; and allowing the gas or oil from the fractured shale to enter the pipe and move to the surface to be collected, further comprising the steps of: forming fracturing fluid comprising proppants not coated with a contaminant-capturing substance; and pumping the fracturing fluid containing proppants not coated with a contaminant-capturing substance through the pipe and into the shale matrix.