Fracking likely caused series of Ohio quakes, officials say

[one...two...tree 2,762]

WASHINGTON - The injection of wastewater from natural gas drilling into a disposal well probably caused a dozen earthquakes in Ohio, state officials said Friday, prompting new regulations to deal with the issue.

The findings about the probable cause of the earthquakes, which occurred in the Youngstown area between March and late December 2011, are certain to intensify an increasingly bitter debate about the safety of hydraulic fracturing within states that sit atop natural gas deposits.

Hydraulic fracturing injects sand and water laced with chemicals into the earth at high pressure to break apart shale rock formations and free natural gas trapped inside. The process, also known as fracking, creates wastewater that must be disposed of, often by injecting it into a disposal well, as companies did in Northeast Ohio.

"After investigating all available geological formation and well activity data, ODNR regulators and geologists found a number of co-occurring circumstances strongly indicating the Youngstown area earthquakes were induced," state officials stated. "Specifically, evidence gathered by state officials suggests fluid from the Northstar 1 disposal well intersected an unmapped fault in a near-failure state of stress causing movement along that fault."

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchy...d#storylink=cpy

[luckytxn 2,265]

WASHINGTON - The injection of wastewater from natural gas drilling into a disposal well probably caused a dozen earthquakes in Ohio, state officials said Friday, prompting new regulations to deal with the issue.

The findings about the probable cause of the earthquakes, which occurred in the Youngstown area between March and late December 2011, are certain to intensify an increasingly bitter debate about the safety of hydraulic fracturing within states that sit atop natural gas deposits.

Hydraulic fracturing injects sand and water laced with chemicals into the earth at high pressure to break apart shale rock formations and free natural gas trapped inside. The process, also known as fracking, creates wastewater that must be disposed of, often by injecting it into a disposal well, as companies did in Northeast Ohio.

"After investigating all available geological formation and well activity data, ODNR regulators and geologists found a number of co-occurring circumstances strongly indicating the Youngstown area earthquakes were induced," state officials stated. "Specifically, evidence gathered by state officials suggests fluid from the Northstar 1 disposal well intersected an unmapped fault in a near-failure state of stress causing movement along that fault."

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchy...d#storylink=cpy

So from the OP. It wasn't Fracking itself that caused the fault. Nor was the injection of the waste-water itself that caused the faults. It was the possible injecting of waste-water into an unmapped fault. A fault that was already stressed and would have had movement at sometime anyway. The area has had minor quakes in the past. Was a point being tried to be made here?

[Leatherneck 693]

So from the OP. It wasn't Fracking itself that caused the fault. Nor was the injection of the waste-water itself that caused the faults. It was the possible injecting of waste-water into an unmapped fault. A fault that was already stressed and would have had movement at sometime anyway. The area has had minor quakes in the past. Was a point being tried to be made here?

Yes, LWNJs do not like fossil fuel production of any type. That's the unwritten point.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Leatherneck

[luckytxn 2,265]

Yes, LWNJs do not like fossil fuel production of any type. That's the unwritten point.

I was being facetious when I typed it.

Fracking has been around since the 40's but now it is a problem when that and a new technology combined to give the U.S. a huge windfall of carbon fuel to use. It has made the green industry to this point obsolete and laughable. They hate to have been wrong. Too bad for them.

[Leatherneck 693]

I was being facetious when I typed it.

Fracking has been around since the 40's but now it is a problem when that and a new technology combined to give the U.S. a huge windfall of carbon fuel to use. It has made the green industry to this point obsolete and laughable. They hate to have been wrong. Too bad for them.

Oh yes, I did sense your facetious tone. LWNJs want to disparage all and anything related to oil/gas production to force the green ####### down our throats. We're on the same page.

To add a little tidbit about fracking, today's hydraulic fracking traces it roots back to 1865 when nitroglycerin was first used.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Oh yes, I did sense your facetious tone. LWNJs want to disparage all and anything related to oil/gas production to force the green ####### down our throats. We're on the same page.

To add a little tidbit about fracking, today's hydraulic fracking traces it roots back to 1865 when nitroglycerin was first used.

Actually, what's odd is the incessant support of the fossil fuel industry by ordinary citizens who willingly submit themselves as minions to an industry whose dominance over energy production is nearing its end. These fossil fuel minions can't fatham building an economy around alternative energy. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is moving forward at a rapid pace. We have the technology to convert most of our energy needs to more sustainable sources, but the only thing slowing that transition down are fossil fuel minions who think the word, 'green' is a communist conspiracy to take away your car and make you ride a bicycle.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[luckytxn 2,265]

Actually, what's odd is the incessant support of the fossil fuel industry by ordinary citizens who willingly submit themselves as minions to an industry whose dominance over energy production is nearing its end. These fossil fuel minions can't fatham building an economy around alternative energy. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is moving forward at a rapid pace. We have the technology to convert most of our energy needs to more sustainable sources, but the only thing slowing that transition down are fossil fuel minions who think the word, 'green' is a communist conspiracy to take away your car and make you ride a bicycle.

The alternatives are not cost effective yet. When you and your clueless brethren get the costs of the alternatives down to even near what us cost conscious people want then that technology will not need HUGE subsidies and laws forcing us to use the technology. The alternatives need to stand on their own. As it stands now it is riddled with corruption. The money could be used to pay down a huge debt but is used to pay off donors. As it stands now we are being ripped off and anyone that advocates ripping us off is an idiot.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The alternatives are not cost effective yet. When you and your clueless brethren get the costs of the alternatives down to even near what us cost conscious people want then that technology will not need HUGE subsidies and laws forcing us to use the technology. The alternatives need to stand on their own. As it stands now it is riddled with corruption. The money could be used to pay down a huge debt but is used to pay off donors. As it stands now we are being ripped off and anyone that advocates ripping us off is an idiot.

What a load of crock and a lame excuse. So lets get this straight - we shouldn't invest in alternative energy because it isn't cost effective "yet." You guys buy into the fossil fuel industries sound bytes, hook-line-and-sinker. Boy, yeah, we really did that with other energy technology such as nuclear power, oil refineries and huge pipelines. Yeah, there were no public monies used for oil exploration, no wars, no military bases in oil producing countries, because those industries have done everything using their own private funding. Yeah, right. And I've got some lake front property I'd like you to see on the moon, just step into my spaceship.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[Leatherneck 693]

What a load of crock and a lame excuse. So lets get this straight - we shouldn't invest in alternative energy because it isn't cost effective "yet." You guys buy into the fossil fuel industries sound bytes, hook-line-and-sinker. Boy, yeah, we really did that with other energy technology such as nuclear power, oil refineries and huge pipelines. Yeah, there were no public monies used for oil exploration, no wars, no military bases in oil producing countries, because those industries have done everything using their own private funding. Yeah, right. And I've got some lake front property I'd like you to see on the moon, just step into my spaceship.

The problem with the green energy sycophants is force, coupled with a morbid sense of superior intellect. Because the public and the taxpayers don't quite get it - they must be forced to except the green energy boondoggle and fund it to the tune of untold billions. Yes, the public is too stupid to swallow "hook-line-and-sinker" the sustainable green energy black-hole as it is today. Which has yet to sustain even one fleet of commercial trucks, sustain one commercial aircraft at 35,000 ft or produce an affordable automobile that performs equally to a gas powered vehicle -- without the need for a gas powered engine as the main source of power. Let us know when you can pull up to a pump and fill your automobile's tank with algae.

Regardless of what the green energy sycophants and the politicians that beat that drum think, the public is pretty good at picking winners.

Cell phones vs home phones

DVD vs VHS

CD vs cassette

McDonald's vs Burger King

Walmart vs mom-n-pop

snail mail vs email

Apple and its array of 'i' gadgets

No one had to force the public or decide what was best for them, the public willingly forked over their hard earned cash for those products which fueled (no pun intended) the technology to improve and sustain those industries.

Edited March 19, 2012 by Leatherneck

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The alternatives are not cost effective yet. When you and your clueless brethren get the costs of the alternatives down to even near what us cost conscious people want then that technology will not need HUGE subsidies and laws forcing us to use the technology. The alternatives need to stand on their own. As it stands now it is riddled with corruption. The money could be used to pay down a huge debt but is used to pay off donors. As it stands now we are being ripped off and anyone that advocates ripping us off is an idiot.

[^_^ 5,021]

... a morbid sense of superior intellect

morbid??

[Leatherneck 693]

morbid??

And?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Oh yes, I did sense your facetious tone. LWNJs want to disparage all and anything related to oil/gas production to force the green ####### down our throats. We're on the same page.

To add a little tidbit about fracking, today's hydraulic fracking traces it roots back to 1865 when nitroglycerin was first used.

Oil and gas pay for themselves, tax payers pay for green energy. I say if the LWNJ want that energy let them pay for it, don't make everyone suffer for what they want. Solyndra.

[Dan J 277]

Oil and gas pay for themselves, tax payers pay for green energy. I say if the LWNJ want that energy let them pay for it, don't make everyone suffer for what they want. Solyndra.

Solyndra story is a bit more complicated, and a story of the real risk in any new technology venture. Solyndra was started to find an alternative method to creating solar power in response to rising prices of silicon. Unfortunately the prices for silicon dropped (and less directly the drop in natural gas prices) and the market moved away from its technology.

Oil and gas still receive direct or indirect tax breaks and subsidies totaling much more than what was lost on Solyndra. But at this time its hugely benefiting from economics of scale that other energy sources have yet to build.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Solyndra story is a bit more complicated, and a story of the real risk in any new technology venture. Solyndra was started to find an alternative method to creating solar power in response to rising prices of silicon. Unfortunately the prices for silicon dropped (and less directly the drop in natural gas prices) and the market moved away from its technology.

Oil and gas still receive direct or indirect tax breaks and subsidies totaling much more than what was lost on Solyndra. But at this time its hugely benefiting from economics of scale that other energy sources have yet to build.

Tax = When your giving a cut of your profits to the government.

Government subsidizing = Not only can't you pay taxes from your profits seeing how there is no profit, you need $$$$$ from someone else (US tax payers) to fund your business in order to produce your product.

Edited March 19, 2012 by Why_Me