Assessment of gas production and electrochemical factors for fracturing flow-back fluid treatment in Guangyuan oilfield

Electrochemical method was used for the fracturing flow-back fluid treatment in Guangyuan oilfield. After performing electrolysis, we found that the amount of $H_2$ gas produced by electrode was closely related to the combination mode of electrodes and electrode materials. Using an aluminium electrode resulted in a large $H_2$ production of each electrode combination, whereas inert anode and cathode materials resulted in low $H_2$ production. Then, the relationship between the gas production of $H_2$ and the treatment efficiency of fracturing flow-back fluid in Guangyuan oilfield was studied. Results showed that the turbidity removal and decolourisation rates of fracturing flow-back fluid were high when $H_2$ production was high. If the $H_2$ production of inert electrode was large, the energy consumption of this inert electrode was also high. However, energy consumption when an aluminium anode material was used was lower than that when the inert electrode was used, whereas the corresponding electrode combination production of $H_2$ was larger than that of the inert electrode combination. When the inert electrode was used as anode, the gas production type was mainly $O_2$, and $Cl_2$ was also produced and dissolved in water to form $ClO^-$. $H_2$ production at the cathode was reduced because $ClO^-$ obtained electrons.