Fracking

[mraf]

There is alot of propaganda out there reguarding fracking . Pro and con. What to believe and not to believe. Do any of you have any first hand knowledge about this? My state {New York} is about to ban it altogether. I'd rather hear anything from this group than read skewed articles. Pro or con.

[cowpuc]

When we were goofin off on Tweeks in North Dakota last year I was SHOCKED at the job opportunities posted everywhere ya looked - reminded me of the old days around Michigan when good paying jobs were everywhere - we were OUT of workers,, even skilled trades!! I am sure fracking is responsible for part of this..

Yacked with a number of folks out there about it,, overall take that I came home with was economic appreciation.. Talked to a couple rancher dudes who were really really hurting not to long ago,, if memory serves me correctly he said that in Michigan it takes 5 acres to raise a cow - out there it was more like 1000 acres per cow -- then the drought hit... People lost everything.. Now alot of those guys are surviving ok,, partially cause of fracking.. Have always heard of methane gas being forced from the ground and things getting pretty stinky from fracking,, gotta say,, never did notice that while traveling - certainly NOTHING even close to the Methane releases you find around waste management areas.. No body I spoke with knew much about the ground water contamination stuff (or werent saying nuttin cause they liked making money).. Most of the comments I heard about that issue focused on it being kinda old school, new technology has improved the issue greatly..

Also have noticed the price of oil being wayyyy down,, gas around here is 2.19 a gallon,, feels pretty dog gone good.. Being a supply/demand kinda guy, cant help but think fracking is playing a part in the lower prices.. On another greater note,, be pretty neat if us North American peoples could some way some how get away from buying oil from people who hate us and our way of life,, if responsible fracking could create that I think we would be much better off....

[bill in mn]

I think if there was real concerns they would shut this down in a heart beat. Living 300 miles from the North Dakota fields and see the prosperity this has brought to the area, and some not so good things too .and they are claiming so much oil that the railways are busy all the time. There are trains running all the time with nothing but oil. The middle east has lowered their prices so much to discourage Fracking and trying to make it not finically lucrative that a barrel of oil runs $65.00+ - . Gas in my area is $2.24 a gal.

[friesman]

Personally my view is that its a perfectly safe way to get oil and natural gas out of the ground 99.99% of the time. There are over 1 million fracking wells in the US since the 1940's and there has been real or imagined issues on a miniscule amount of that total. Out here in the Bakken field the wells are a lot deeper than on the eastern part of the continent so there is less chance to get contamination between the layers of oil and water thousands of feet apart with layers of impermeable rock between them.

Here one of the articles I found fairly informative.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/opinion/global/the-facts-on-fracking.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

[Money Venture]

The fracking isn't the problem. The problem is the companies take short cuts and don't install the liners or don't line correctly or deep enough. Then you get contaminated aquifers.

[skydoc_17]

As it is with anything, there are GOOD Companies, and there are BAD ones! I left Lockheed/Martin Aerospace after 25 years to work for a Petro Manufacturing Company that makes Fracking Pumps and Liners, BUT it also makes EPA Monitoring equipment as well. As a matter of fact, it produces MORE Monitoring equipment than it does fracking equipment! I live in South Central Pennsylvania, and we are in the center of the "fracking fields" for the Northeast. When the equipment is used properly, the current technology is as safe, or safer than say a grain conveyor or Silo system. The thing I like the best is that the oil is produced here in the USA, with American labor, and it has broken the "stranglehold" the Middle East has had on us for the last 100 years! In my opinion, ANY state that doesn't appreciate the fact that this industry is providing good paying jobs for American workers is worried about the "Kickbacks" they are getting from the oil companies for foreign oil consumption. I can understand completely why New York would be upset by fracking in their state seeing as there are many politicians in the "Port District" that have lost their "Juice" because of the loss of imported oil from the middle east. As for me, my neighbors, and the state of Pa. fracking has been a stable industry in my area, with NO major problems, and the company I work for is on the cutting edge of monitoring equipment to keep it that way.

Just my two cents, for what they are worth.

Earl

[bongobobny]

Not a fan...

[ragtop69gs]

I recently saw a powerpoint that detailed the fracking operation and if it's done as I saw, it presents very little danger of contamination to the aquafiers if everybody follows the rules. As was said I'm in support of anything that keeps our $$$ out of the hands of countries out to destroy us.

 

I'll try finding that powerpoint.

[GeorgeS]

I suspect many of the big old time Oil companies, are not to happy, a good chunk of oil business is going to small start up companies.

But everything has changed. We now know that the muched talked about energy shortage, Just Ain't So !!! I been researching, and

I found information that in West Texas area Alone, there will be more Crude extracted, then all the oil that has ever been pumped in the U.S.

Also, Nat Gas production is going Up Up Up !!! Canada is getting ready to start feeding Nat Gas into the U.S. Nat Gas pipe distribution system.

8 or 9 supper tankers are being built to haul Liquified Nat Gas to China !!

More new area's are being opened up to Fracking wells !!

And, Nobody has been given a licence to do New Exploration on " Federal Land " !!!! Up to now this has all been on Private Land !!!

The two major companies that build Railroad Tank Cars, are booked up solid , max production for over 3 years, and more orders comeing in !!

I guess hay day's of OPEC, have come to an end. Sooner or later, Fed Land, will be opened up to more drilling !!! Hmmmm ???

( Maby after 2016 ) . ---

 

A Point to consider, in all this, Airlines,------ 30 percent of their operating costs are Fuel !!!--- Crude Oil, go Down, Airline Stocks go UP !! and Vice-Versa !!

Its almost Instantanious !!

 

And !!!! We can buy Many Many more gallons of " MOTORCYCLE FUEL " !!!!!!!!!!!! See, this posting is Motorcycle Related Ha Ha

 

From what I have researched, the West Texas Fields, are just getting started . More to come,

[Yammer Dan]

As it is with anything, there are GOOD Companies, and there are BAD ones! I left Lockheed/Martin Aerospace after 25 years to work for a Petro Manufacturing Company that makes Fracking Pumps and Liners, BUT it also makes EPA Monitoring equipment as well. As a matter of fact, it produces MORE Monitoring equipment than it does fracking equipment! I live in South Central Pennsylvania, and we are in the center of the "fracking fields" for the Northeast. When the equipment is used properly, the current technology is as safe, or safer than say a grain conveyor or Silo system. The thing I like the best is that the oil is produced here in the USA, with American labor, and it has broken the "stranglehold" the Middle East has had on us for the last 100 years! In my opinion, ANY state that doesn't appreciate the fact that this industry is providing good paying jobs for American workers is worried about the "Kickbacks" they are getting from the oil companies for foreign oil consumption. I can understand completely why New York would be upset by fracking in their state seeing as there are many politicians in the "Port District" that have lost their "Juice" because of the loss of imported oil from the middle east. As for me, my neighbors, and the state of Pa. fracking has been a stable industry in my area, with NO major problems, and the company I work for is on the cutting edge of monitoring equipment to keep it that way.

Just my two cents, for what they are worth.

Earl

 

That was worth 4 cents Earl!!

[MiCarl]

The only thing I know anything about (other than what I have read) is natural gas in water wells. The house I grew up in had the water well in the basement and we found natural gas coming out the vent after the 2nd explosion. Dad plumbed the vent outside and no more problems.

 

So I'm skeptical about people that claim fracking has caused their water to be flammable. We had flammable water long before the current fracking thing........

 

Cowpuc - you cannot smell the methane leaking from a natural gas well, it doesn't have all the sulfur that landfill gas has. You can open a natural gas wellhead and it might roar like a jet engine but you can't smell a thing (do not ask how I know this). The gas company adds 'perfume' to the methane they deliver so we can smell when there is a leak.

[Gray Ghost]

I grew up on the edge of the Permian Basin in west Texas. They took a big hit back around the 80s and a lot of companies had to downsize or went belly up, wells were closed, etc. The county seat went from 15000 populaton to about 10000 today. With more efficient extraction methods they have come back somewhat. When the fields started opening back up seems like everybody and their dog with an acre of unused land put in RV facilities to handle the workers. Even had a guy put in a "man-camp" that reminded me of some of the housing used on FOBs in Iraq. Most of the RV parks are mostly vacant and the "man-camp" has been moving units out to other areas. Now I have heard that the shale fields in south Texas are creating a lot of work.

 

The big issue I hear about now though is the low gas prices. As a consumer I appreciate not having to pay $3 a gallon, especially if I am gassing up the RV. But when oil goes below around $70 a barrel, it starts to put the squeeze on the smaller companies out in the oil patch. The typical Saudi tactic is to drive down the prices to the point where the competition cannot afford to continue in business, then they cut production and the prices go up again. I hope our guys can hang in there long enough to outlast them.

[XV1100SE]

I'm against fracking because I believe the (long term) environmental risks outweigh the (immediate) economic benefits. I'm not a tree-hugger but from reading I've done the impact to the wildlife, the people living near fracking sites, contamination of water...isn't worth it.

 

How many people in Pennsylvania are having water trucked in because fracking contaminated their well water? (read this for what fracking has done in areas of Pennsylvania - A Colossal Fracking Mess | Vanity Fair)

 

Other write ups :

EARTHWORKS | Hydraulic Fracturing 101

Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the Williston Basin, Montana

Dangers of Fracking

What is fracking? | Food & Water Watch

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/gasdrilling/

 

Politicians that want to get re-elected are for fracking because they create jobs now. Oil companies promote it as a means of keeping prices lower because it gives them another source to sell and make profits on.

 

Read what the impact of fracking is that are known today and you might change your mind. If you support fracking, there are some properties in Pennsylvania that the owners would love to sell because fracking has made their homes unlivable.

[dfitzbiz]

Drilling for shale gas and the process of fracking has been a divisive subject for several years. Parties from both sides have provided anecdotal proof that fracking is safe/unsafe. Here is some information from the proponents of safe fracking. Each citizen has to make up their own mind as to who or what to believe.

 

Is Fracking Safe? The Top 10 Myths About Natural Gas Drilling - Popular Mechanics

 

Department of Energy study claims fracking is safe, contradicting previous findings — RT USA

 

Articles: The Science Is Settled: Fracking Is Safe

 

The Economist explains: How safe is fracking? | The Economist

[skydoc_17]

It seems like I was the first poster to get off topic about the fracking question with my comments about New York, and their decision not to allow fracking in their state. I meant no disrespect to the members of this forum that live in New York, work there, or have family there. I apologize for my comments, and in the future will do a better job of keeping my posts on topic.

Earl Harrell (skydoc_17)

[Yammer Dan]

My opinion is the Coal, Gas and oil are there and we are going to get them sooner or later. Methods will always have different opinions but the minerals will come out til we bleed Mother Earth dry.

[Eddie]

Great reading here. much more than what oil you put in your bikes crank case. haha . I'm all for keeping our money here.

[KICKSHOT]

I used to drill oil wells. Left the oil patch in the late 80's to learn a new trade and provide for my new born son. I could go on about frac'n and what I think but I'll just provide a link to a web site. I think that drilling oil wells contaminate water tables. I also think that when you fracture the earth that we just can't predict how the formations will react in every case. We know how they should but we can't be 100% sure.

North Dakota Oil Can: Home

After you go there click on ND ENERGY FACTS in the top header. When the next page opens click on HYDRAULIC FRACTURING in the left hand header. Then when the next page opens scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see two links to videos on hydraulic fracturing. These are straight forward and true. I still visit oil field related web sites to stay up on things. I guess you never lose the desire for some stuff.

[ragtop69gs]

I used to drill oil wells. Left the oil patch in the late 80's to learn a new trade and provide for my new born son. I could go on about frac'n and what I think but I'll just provide a link to a web site. I think that drilling oil wells contaminate water tables. I also think that when you fracture the earth that we just can't predict how the formations will react in every case. We know how they should but we can't be 100% sure.

North Dakota Oil Can: Home

After you go there click on ND ENERGY FACTS in the top header. When the next page opens click on HYDRAULIC FRACTURING in the left hand header. Then when the next page opens scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see two links to videos on hydraulic fracturing. These are straight forward and true. I still visit oil field related web sites to stay up on things. I guess you never lose the desire for some stuff.

 

The first video is the one I refered to earlier.