Disposal of Radioactive Waste

About

The present invention relates to the field of oil and gas field waster treatment, and more particularly to the treatment and disposal of radiaoctive waste from oil and gas production. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention relate to a process of treating and disposing NORM (naturally occuring radioactive material). Background a large amount of formation wter, brine, is co-produced when oil and gas are pumped to the surface from formations deep in the earth. It is ot unusual for 10 barrels of water to be produced for each barrel of oil. Generally, producing formations are very deep. At these  depths it is vey hot and the formation are under high pressure. The waters are saturated with many ingredients that are dissolved from the substrata. As theya re brought to the surface brines from different reservoirs may become mixed, and temperatures and pressures drop. These changes promote precipitation and condensation reactions. The solutes along with suspended particulatesform deposits (scale) on and in the producion equipment , and sediment particles composed, at least in part, of precipitated inorganic materials, and rock fragments derived from the producing formation accumulate with oil in tanks and transfer tubing as sludge.