Thread: Any one sufferign from the gas boom in the mid atlantic

The only thing I know about Fracking is what I learned on Balltlestar Galactica. Can someone illuminate me because I'm fracking clueless.

Also, I keep hearing that we have enough natural gas under the good 'ol USA to tell every middle eastern and crazy communist south american country to go frak themselves... is this true? Would it mean making the countryside an asphalt parking lot?

Originally Posted by mannye

Also, I keep hearing that we have enough natural gas under the good 'ol USA to tell every middle eastern and crazy communist south american country to go frak themselves... is this true? Would it mean making the countryside an asphalt parking lot?

We got LOTS of natural gas trapped in shale, and as far as natural gas needs go, yeah, we could tell most of the world to go frak themselves.

The way it works is by drilling a well down to a seam of shale and then drill horizontally through the seam. The well is filled with a compound and then put under enough pressure (I think with explosives) to crack the surrounding shale. This allows the natural gas in the wells to escape.

There are a lot of serious environmental concerns about it, though. It has the potential to poison a lot of groundwater. Farmers and ranchers depend on groundwater, and I depend on farmers and ranchers to get me my damned food, so I'm concerned.

Thanks for the info. Double edged sword it seems. But I always figure that no matter what someone is going to F it up. Like hybrid cars.... they make me laugh.

We have had locomotives that run relatively small diesel engines to power electric motors for decades, but we refuse to make a car like that. It would probably get 150 MPG by now if we really put our minds to it...

Same with all other energy... the only thing we can count on is that someone will screw it all up.

Looks like NG has issues like any other resource that needs to be mined. It's a tough call either way.

Frankly, the fact that not one single person has made a fart joke on this thread is truly astonishing. I mean really, "gas boom"? It's just asking for trouble!

Originally Posted by joesixpack

Frankly, the fact that not one single person has made a fart joke on this thread is truly astonishing. I mean really, "gas boom"? It's just asking for trouble!

Well, thanks for making one my last days at the BBC fun! I got a true chuckle out of that one.