No water no oil

[Ludi]

Most water problems could be solved by restoring watersheds.

http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/

rainwater harvesting videos with Brad Lancaster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iQ-FBAmvBw

Many dry regions have been made much worse, with much lower carrying capacity, because of damage to watersheds over the past 100- 10,000 + years.


See also "Water for Every Farm" by PA Yeomans.

[seahorse3]

This drought highlights a big weakness in US oil production, namely, the new fracking relies on lots of water. Water is harder to come by now in Texas with the drought. The drought is putting a hurt on fracking in Texas which requires lots of water which is not so plentiful right now.

[url]http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/10/news/economy/kansas-oil-boom-drought/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
[/url]

this problem with water shows how different oil production is from the days of drilling during the Great Depression or 50s in Texas. It's no longer the cheap oil, the easy oil. It's more expensive to drill, harder to get, and depends on water, now a valuable resource which we often take for granted. Drilling is as complex and has as many complex inputs as our complex fragile economy.

This drought is minor compared to that of the Great Depression or even the 50s, both of which lasted about 10 years. If this drought last that long, not only will we be hurting for food, but hurting for fuel. At least they had fuel in the Great Depression and 50s. So, pray for rain.

[Plantagenet]

This drought highlights a big weakness in US oil production, namely, the new fracking relies on lots of water...

Frakking occurs when HIGH PRESSURES are induced in sections of the borehole. This is usually done with water, but a company in Canada is now doing it by pumping natural gas down the hole----the natural gas used for frakking is recovered when the well starts producing. You could even theoretically frak wells with compressed air, if you had the right kind of pumping system. Water is cheapest, but alternatives do exist.

Problem solved.

[JohnRM]

"...but alternatives do exist."

Meanwhile, back at the farm, the price of oil just ticked up another couple of bucks.

[seahorse3]

Plant, you know the old argument could of, should of, would of, well saying there is another way to do it without water is the old could of, would of, should of. They are doint it that way in Texas, or Kansas. So, do you have any examples of how many wells in the US are doing it without water? If you do, then problem solved and all the political opposition to fracking most likely goes away. But until that time, problem on, and during a drought, it becomes a bigger problem.

[pstarr]

This drought highlights a big weakness in US oil production, namely, the new fracking relies on lots of water...

Frakking occurs when HIGH PRESSURES are induced in sections of the borehole. This is usually done with water, but a company in Canada is now doing it by pumping natural gas down the hole----the natural gas used for frakking is recovered when the well starts producing. You could even theoretically frak wells with compressed air, if you had the right kind of pumping system. Water is cheapest, but alternatives do exist.

Problem solved.

sounds like blowing hot air into a hole.

[Pops]

Frakking occurs when HIGH PRESSURES are induced in sections of the borehole.

And the fractured rock must then be propped open to resist the pressure of the overlaying rock or it would just close right back up. Proppants and all sorts of other chemicals are carried in the fluid to keep the fractures open, make the oil less viscous, etc..