Patent ID: 8347960

Claim:
A method of releasing natural gas from a well during a hydraulic fracturing operation, comprising the steps of: introducing a hydraulic fracturing fluid into a subterranean formation, the hydraulic fracturing fluid including a mixture of water and fracturing components; capturing at least a portion of the hydraulic fracturing fluid from the subterranean formation; introducing the captured hydraulic fracturing fluid to an electro coagulation (“EC”) treatment process and using the EC treatment process to separate the water from other fracturing fluid components; recycling the water separated via use of the EC treatment process into hydraulic fracturing fluid that is used in subsequent hydraulic fracturing operations, including using the EC treatment process to reduce the viscosity of the hydraulic fracturing fluid that is introduced into the subterranean formation, and wherein the EC treatment process further includes: providing a variable power supply that outputs an alternating current (“AC”); using a variable step down transformer to prevent current spikes in the AC output provided by the variable power supply; rectifying the output of the variable step down transformer from AC to direct current (“DC”); and delivering the rectified DC current to at least one EC treatment cell, for use in inducing electrocoagulation of the captured hydraulic fluid.