the true facts about oil fracking

next to that reasoned discourse, anything will seem puerile, but how do you explain a ten fold increase in earthquakes coinciding with drilling areas?

http://ecowatch.com/2013/07/12/earthquakes-linked-to-fracking-wastewater-injection-wells/

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

next to that reasoned discourse, anything will seem puerile, but how do you explain a ten fold increase in earthquakes coinciding with drilling areas?

http://ecowatch.com/2013/07/12/earthquakes-linked-to-fracking-wastewater-injection-wells/

increased earthquakes in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, but heavily drilled areas, have now confirmed that the quakes are being caused by rain draught which has shifted the weight of water in lakes and rivers. drilling has nothing to do with it.

All that matters is the EPA says fracking is good. If it wasn't Al Gore would have had Obama stop all fracking.

they are not fracking for oil. Fracking yields natural gas. Clearly you are an expert that should be trusted

Many companies investing in the Niobrara Oil Play would argue with that.

Fracking is used for both oil and gas.

nalgene wrote:

they are not fracking for oil. Fracking yields natural gas. Clearly you are an expert that should be trusted

Yes, the poster above is correct and you are wrong. It is used in both oil and gas wells.

I'm a pro-fracking environmentalist, but it does have its risks, as does any method of producing or transporting fuel. The earthquake thing is possible, but by no means proven or disproven. Water quality concerns are overblown but legitimate concerns and citizens and regulators need to hold the producers' feet to the fire.

The shotgun comparison is silly and irrelevant. Comparing fracking to oil production is a good analogy. Oil production, original production and later enhanced oil recover, in the US had risks and accidents and contaminated some aquifers, but when done right could be done safely and had enormous benefits.

The jury is still out on the environmental impacts of fracking. But indeed, they do extract oil from fracking. Depends on where you are and what type of field is being tapped.

Not sure where I stand on fracking yet, but OP, you sound like a complete moron and are not exactly persuading me.

My understanding is that the connection between fracking and small magnitude earthquakes is pretty solid. The uncertainty is with earthquakes of large enough magnitude to cause damage. The hypothesis is that small "man-made" earthquakes might trigger a much larger scale "mostly natural" event. Since these things are very rare, it's going to be a long time before there is statistical significance sufficient to make a clear link one way or the other.

I generally agree with this assessment. Like pretty much any other sort of resource extraction, there are mostly local negative externalities and these can be reasonably managed through appropriate regulation, oversight, and reparations as they have in similar cases. The near term economic benefits are self-evident and national energy independence greatly strengthen the international political situation for countries with oil/gas reserves.

There is of course the climate change issue which is a probable greatly delayed and global negative externality of continued reliance on carbon fuels. Much as I'd like to be surprised, but I'm not optimistic that we as a species are very good at dealing with this sort of problem, so it will be left for future generations to deal with.

you know not what you do wrote:

My Uncle worked for a fracking rig. He'd be standing in the fracking wastewater. Now he has cancer, his feet got bright red and felt like they were on fire. Apparently they are going so far down they are washing back up RADIUM.

Your uncle should have worn boots.

A lot of ground water supplies also have radon and many homes have radon seeping into their basements (http://www.epa.gov/radon/), all totally unrelated to fracking. It's a concern and something that has to be dealt with, but it's not exclusive to fracking.

Sorry about your uncle, but my aunt and uncle were both English professors and died of cancer. Should we ban English departments.

Fracking is the oil addict's last, desperate attempt to get some.

In what world is injecting toxic, radioactive chemicals into groundwater harmless?

I just hope future generations will forgive this one.

Orin Incandenza wrote:

Fracking is the oil addict's last, desperate attempt to get some.

In what world is injecting toxic, radioactive chemicals into groundwater harmless?

I just hope future generations will forgive this one.

yep...

What is the gain?

Have fuel prices come down since fracking has started?

No!

We are potentially polluting the earth for the financial benefit of a few.

......and life goes on in the United States.

opinionated guy wrote:

What is the gain?

Have fuel prices come down since fracking has started?

No!

We are potentially polluting the earth for the financial benefit of a few.

......and life goes on in the United States.

Yes, only for the few people in the US who drive and use electricity daily. Not the rest who live like it's still 1700.

anapaix wrote:

Yes, only for the few people in the US who drive and use electricity daily. Not the rest who live like it's still 1700.

So you have directly profited from fracking?

Since fracking began, company profits have gone up, but so have gas, oil, and electric prices.

Prices have NOT come down. That is the point.

opinionated guy wrote:

anapaix wrote:

Yes, only for the few people in the US who drive and use electricity daily. Not the rest who live like it's still 1700.

So you have directly profited from fracking?

Since fracking began, company profits have gone up, but so have gas, oil, and electric prices.

Prices have NOT come down. That is the point.

In 2008 I was paying close to 5 bucks a gallon for diesel. I haven't paid over 4 bucks the last 4-5 years.

seriously... wrote:

In 2008 I was paying close to 5 bucks a gallon for diesel. I haven't paid over 4 bucks the last 4-5 years.

Due to fracking?

Try reading something sometime instead of listening to those that prosper from your ignorance.