Patent ID: 8894864

Claim:
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.