# Utilizing Petroleum Coke for Hydraulic Fracturing Flowback and Produced Water Treatment - Targeting Dissolved Organics and Iron Removal

## TL;DR

This study explores using petroleum coke to treat water from hydraulic fracturing, focusing on removing dissolved organics and iron.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in using waste petroleum coke with an in-house activation method for treating hydraulic fracturing water.

## Key findings

- The surface area of petroleum coke significantly affects its ability to remove dissolved organics.
- Petroleum coke's surface area does not strongly influence iron removal efficiency.
- The study shows potential for low-cost treatment of hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water.

## Abstract

Responsible hydraulic fracturing is important for the
future of
Canada’s oil and gas sector. Hydraulic fracturing operations
use significant amounts of water. The flowback and produced water
from hydraulic fracturing operations contain toxic chemicals and is
stored on site. Alberta Energy Regulator records hundreds of surface
spills of flowback and produced water per year. Nevertheless, to promote
water reuse during hydraulic fracturing operations and reduce costs,
industry uses fit-for-purpose water treatment methods to treat the
flowback and produced water, targeting suspended solids and dissolved
solids. In addition, the recent interest in the lithium content in
hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water has stimulated direct
lithium extraction technology development across Canada. However,
most of these technologies require a certain degree of organic removal.
Traditional water treatment technologies are costly, and as such,
further development in low-cost water treatment techniques is crucial
to treat and reuse flowback and produced water. In this study, we
utilized waste materials (i.e., petroleum coke) from the oil sands
industry for hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water treatment
by employing an in-house coke activation method. Flowback and produced
water samples from different locations in the Western Canadian Sedimentary
Basin were analyzed and compared using a suite of analytical techniques.
Dissolved organics were analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry
using nontargeted analysis methods. The organic and iron removal efficiencies
of different activated carbon products were compared. Results indicate
that the surface area of coke is the primary factor influencing its
adsorption capacity for dissolved organics; however, it does not significantly
impact the efficiency of iron removal. Overall, this study demonstrated
the potential of using petroleum coke for treating flowback and produced
water, laying grounds for development of low-cost treatment technologies.