Waterless Fracking Makes Headway in Texas, Slowly
With water increasingly scarce and expensive around Texas, a few companies have begun hydraulic fracturing — without the hydro.
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March 27, 2013
March 21, 2013
Legislation Would Have Fracking Fluid Recipes Sent to Landowners Nearby
Under legislation considered at the Capitol this week, hydraulic fracturing companies in Texas could soon be mailing a list of “fracking” fluid ingredients to residents near oil and gas wells. House Bill 448, authored by Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, would require drilling companies to mail a list of the ingredients they plan to use in […]
Legislation Would Have Fracking Fluid Recipes Sent to Landowners Nearby
Under legislation considered at the Capitol this week, hydraulic fracturing companies in Texas could soon be mailing a list of “fracking” fluid ingredients to residents near oil and gas wells. House Bill 448, authored by Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, would require drilling companies to mail a list of the ingredients they plan to use in […]
March 13, 2013
Ambiguities Persist in Regulating Water Withdrawals for Fracking
From the Texas Tribune: In Karnes County, at the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale, oil and gas drillers seeking to use water for hydraulic fracturing must get a permit from the local groundwater authority. They can pump only a certain amount of water, and they must report how much they use. In Dimmit County, […]
Ambiguities Persist in Regulating Water Withdrawals for Fracking
From the Texas Tribune: In Karnes County, at the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale, oil and gas drillers seeking to use water for hydraulic fracturing must get a permit from the local groundwater authority. They can pump only a certain amount of water, and they must report how much they use. In Dimmit County, […]
March 8, 2013
In Texas, Water Use for Fracking Stirs Concerns
From the Texas Tribune: CARRIZO SPRINGS — In this South Texas stretch of mesquite trees and cactus, where the land is sometimes too dry to grow crops, the local aquifer is being strained in the search for oil. The reason is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling process that requires massive amounts of water. “We […]
In Texas, Water Use for Fracking Stirs Concerns
From the Texas Tribune: CARRIZO SPRINGS — In this South Texas stretch of mesquite trees and cactus, where the land is sometimes too dry to grow crops, the local aquifer is being strained in the search for oil. The reason is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling process that requires massive amounts of water. “We […]
March 5, 2013
Fracking Goes to the Texas Legislature
Update/Correction: 03/08/13 The original version of this story reported that Rep. Van Taylor’s HB 100 would reduce methane flaring by encouraging the capture of more methane gas. In a subsequent interview, Rep. Taylor clarified, saying it reduce Co2 emissions by making carbon gasses more valuable to drillers looking to extract more oil and gas from […]
Fracking Goes to the Texas Legislature
Update/Correction: 03/08/13 The original version of this story reported that Rep. Van Taylor’s HB 100 would reduce methane flaring by encouraging the capture of more methane gas. In a subsequent interview, Rep. Taylor clarified, saying it reduce Co2 emissions by making carbon gasses more valuable to drillers looking to extract more oil and gas from […]
March 1, 2013
Higher Penalties for Oil and Gas Industry Have Bipartisan Support in Legislature
Freshman State Representative Gene Wu, D-Houston, introduced a bill this week that would substantially increase many penalties oil and gas companies would have to pay for violating state rules. HB1863 would increase the maximum fines The Railroad Commission of Texas, the agency that oversees the state’s oil and gas industry, could impose on rule-breaking drillers and […]
Higher Penalties for Oil and Gas Industry Have Bipartisan Support in Legislature
Freshman State Representative Gene Wu, D-Houston, introduced a bill this week that would substantially increase many penalties oil and gas companies would have to pay for violating state rules. HB1863 would increase the maximum fines The Railroad Commission of Texas, the agency that oversees the state’s oil and gas industry, could impose on rule-breaking drillers and […]
New Research Says Gas Boom Still Has a Few Decades In It
A common question arises when people talk about “fracking,” the colloquial term for the drilling process of hydraulic fracturing — how much oil and gas is really down there? New research led by the University of Texas at Austin says it’s not as much as some expected, but not as little as expected, either. And […]
February 27, 2013
Lawmakers Propose Fixes For Roads Damaged By Drilling
This legislative session lawmakers are considering various ways to manage the oil and gas drilling boom, from reducing tax breaks to encouraging less water use. And at a conversation with several lawmakers hosted by StateImpact Texas Tuesday night, there was bipartisan agreement that something needs to be done on one issue in particular. Fracking can […]
Lawmakers Propose Fixes For Roads Damaged By Drilling
This legislative session lawmakers are considering various ways to manage the oil and gas drilling boom, from reducing tax breaks to encouraging less water use. And at a conversation with several lawmakers hosted by StateImpact Texas Tuesday night, there was bipartisan agreement that something needs to be done on one issue in particular. Fracking can […]
Selling Texas as Oil Boom States Vie for Business
In a radio ad, Texas Governor Rick Perry disses California as a place where it’s “next to impossible” to build a business. “Come check out Texas,” Perry implores his listeners. Some states are taking the governor up on his offer: They’re coming to Texas, but they’re not looking to bring business to the state. Rather, […]
February 26, 2013
NRDC: Drilling Leases Now Cover More Land Than California and Florida Combined
There’s a land grab going on in America, as the advent of drilling techniques like hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking”) and horizontal drilling unlock domestic deposits of oil and gas that had earlier had not been economical to drill. New numbers collected by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental group, show the massive amount of land involved. […]
NRDC: Drilling Leases Now Cover More Land Than California and Florida Combined
There’s a land grab going on in America, as the advent of drilling techniques like hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking”) and horizontal drilling unlock domestic deposits of oil and gas that had earlier had not been economical to drill. New numbers collected by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental group, show the massive amount of land involved. […]