Methods for disposing of produced water recovered during hydrocarbon drilling, production or related operations

1. A method of disposing of produced water recovered during hydrocarbon production operations at one or more hydrocarbon well, the method comprising:

conducting hydrocarbon drilling operations at at least one hydrocarbon well;

collecting produced water that includes dissolved formation solids and is generated during the hydrocarbon production operations at the hydrocarbon well;

mixing Type I Portland cement with the produced water to form a cementitious slurry;

delivering the cementitious slurry to an underground void at another location for disposal therein;

introducing the cementitious slurry into the underground void;

allowing the cementitious slurry to set and produce cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 400 psi within approximately 48 hours; and

during setting of the cementitious slurry, preventing leaching of formation solids from the produced water beyond approximately four inches into the earth surrounding the underground void.

2. The method of claim 1 further including mixing the Type I Portland cement and produced water to form a cementitious slurry having a thickness that allows the cementitious slurry to be pumped into an underground void.

3. The method of claim 2 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set, the set cement having approximately zero free water.

4. The method of claim 3 further including recovering the produced water during fracturing operations.

5. The method of claim 3 further including mixing at least one accelerator into the cementitious slurry.

6. The method of claim 3 further including introducing the cementitious slurry into an abandoned underground mine shaft or mine cavity, and allowing the cementitious slurry to harden and form a cement that seals the mine shaft or mine cavity, and preventing fines from being released into the environment from the mine shaft or mine cavity.

7. The method of claim 1 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 400 psi within approximately 24 hours.

8. The method of claim 7 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement with approximately zero free water.

9. The method of claim 1 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 500 psi within approximately 96 hours.

10. The method of claim 9 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement with absolutely zero free water.

11. The method of claim 1 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set, the set cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 600 psi within approximately 96 hours.

12. The method of claim 1 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set, the set cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 800 psi.

13. A method of disposing of produced water recovered during hydrocarbon production operations at one or more hydrocarbon wells, the method comprising:

conducting hydrocarbon drilling operations at at least one hydrocarbon well;

at the hydrocarbon well, collecting the produced water generated during hydrocarbon production operations;

mixing Type I Portland cement with the produced water to form a cementitious slurry having a thickness that allows the cementitious slurry to be pumped into an underground void at another location and form a solid cement with approximately zero free water;

identifying an underground void at another location from the hydrocarbon well;

pumping the cementitious slurry into the underground void; and

allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement with approximately zero free water.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the produced water carries one or more dissolved formation solids, further including during setting of the cementitious slurry, disallowing leaching of formation solids in the produced water more than approximately four inches deep into the earth surrounding the underground void.

15. The method of claim 13 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement with absolutely zero free water.

16. The method of claim 13 further including mixing Type I Portland cement with produced water at a ratio of between approximately 13.5 ppg and approximately 14.5 ppg to form a cementitious slurry and allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 500 psi.

17. The method of claim 13 further including mixing Type I Portland cement with produced water at a ratio of approximately 14.0 ppg to form a cementitious slurry and allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 400 psi.

18. The method of claim 13 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 700 psi.

19. The method of claim 13 further including allowing the cementitious slurry to set and form solid cement having a compressive strength of at least approximately 900 psi.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the underground void is an underground coal mine area, further including allowing the solid cement to seal the underground coal mine area.