B
barbless
Member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2008
- Messages
- 483
There's a problem in this discussion, beginning at the first post: hydraulic fracking is not the only kind of fracking. Propane gel fracking has none of the environmental hazards of hydro-fracking.
It is subject to some hazards of its own, and thus requires more attention, safety precautions, and foolproofing than using water. But there isn't anything about the technology that's a deal-breaker. It's already in the process of becoming the new industry standard for fracking in places where there are no water supplies to tap.
As I see it, as of now the main obstacles to implementing it in Pa. are political. Gel-fracking lacks a constituency of advocates.
Most people don't even know that the tech exists, except for two groups: the gas extraction industry, which is loath to incur the expense for new equipment and the slower track for sinking wells that would result from switching over to the still-uncommon gel-fracking rigs, which also undoubtedly require a bit of extra procedures training for the operations crews; and the opposition groups who hate gas drilling in any form whatsoever- even with a technology that overcomes all of the worst environmental quality objections related to hydro-fracking.
It is subject to some hazards of its own, and thus requires more attention, safety precautions, and foolproofing than using water. But there isn't anything about the technology that's a deal-breaker. It's already in the process of becoming the new industry standard for fracking in places where there are no water supplies to tap.
As I see it, as of now the main obstacles to implementing it in Pa. are political. Gel-fracking lacks a constituency of advocates.
Most people don't even know that the tech exists, except for two groups: the gas extraction industry, which is loath to incur the expense for new equipment and the slower track for sinking wells that would result from switching over to the still-uncommon gel-fracking rigs, which also undoubtedly require a bit of extra procedures training for the operations crews; and the opposition groups who hate gas drilling in any form whatsoever- even with a technology that overcomes all of the worst environmental quality objections related to hydro-fracking.
