Some waters have high sulfate contents, such as acid mine drainage (AMD), which makes them unsuitable for use in fracturing fluids and difficult to dispose. Such waters may be treated with a solution of barium chloride to react with the sulfate ion of the sulfates and precipitate the sulfates as barium sulfate. Not all of the sulfates needs to be removed for the reclaimed water to be useful in formulating a fracturing fluid. The by-product of the reaction is almost pure barium sulfate, which is an inert, commercially valuable material that may be used in drilling fluids, paint and other industries.
