The word 'Fracking' - can it be the new swear word of the 21st century?

1. 79

   ptosisposted 14 years ago

   The word 'Fracking' - can it be the new swear word of the 21st century?
   
   Fracking means Hydraulic fracturing is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling.
   
   

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2. 69

   doodlebugsposted 14 years ago

   What bothers me is the amount of misinformation about this subject. O&G companies aren't perfect. I've got firsthand knowledge of that. We do need domestic energy to keep our nation safer, and natural gas from water fracked wells is an important part of that energy. No matter what side you are on, for or against domestic natural gas production, people should realize that it is NOT hydraulic fracturing that causes increased methane in well water near drilling activity. The causes can be numerous, including ground disturbance by shallow water wells used for drilling water, vibration from rigs, etc, not fracking.  The distance between water reservoirs and natural gas reservoirs is typically thousands of feet, separated by steel and cement when a frack job is done. And enough about all the "chemicals" used. Oil and gas reservoirs are naturally full of naturally occurring chemicals such as benzine in small amounts, it's been there for millenia. The state of Colorado recently put out a statement disputing so called "facts" in the movie Gassland, which has caused such as stir. See it here: http://cogcc.state.co.us/library/GASLAND%20DOC.pdf
   The producers of this highly charged "docudrama" did not even bother to ask state regulatory agencies important questions before making the movie and presented lots of things as "fact".

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   1. 52

      wheatbaybayposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      But what about the contaminated water after it's used in fracking how do you dispose of it and what about the water that doesn't flow back up out of the wells that water stay in the ground. Fracking use thousands of gallons of water for just one well

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3. 61

   lime light powerposted 14 years ago

   Fact - natural gas is a fossil fuel which means it will run out and a byproduct of it's use is CO2. While it's important that our country (and the planet) has a diversified energy portfolio, we need to remember the basics. Natural gas can only ever be a temporary "patch" or "filler"... it is cleaner than coal, but not clean enough. And if we have reserves to last 100 years that means we will still reach "Peak Natural Gas" in my life time. While there may not be any direct and verifiable connection between contaminated water and fracking, the evidence is kind of overwhelming - Propublica has dedicated an entire ongoing series to the topic.
   
   http://www.propublica.org/series/buried … tal-threat

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