Energy Today – August 22, 2013
Mary Schaper
Posted August 22, 2013
Forbes: Shale, Fracking Are Not the main Cause of Texas Water Shortages
One of the challenging aspects of shale oil and gas development in the United States comes from the fact that some of the large shale reservoirs are located in areas that are arid or semi-arid. Some, like the Eagle Ford and Cline Shales in Texas and the Niobrara in Colorado, are affected by ongoing drought conditions. This reality can make the sourcing of water for hydraulic fracturing operations a difficult undertaking.
This situation can also result in the industry taking full blame for water shortage issues in misleading and distorted media reports, like this one that ran in the UK Guardian on August 11. This article, which unfortunately has led to a series of follow-up pieces in other media outlets, spends its first 500 words or so placing full blame for chronic water shortages in and near Barnhart, Texas on the very recent boom in the oil and gas industry. While it finally does get around to at least indirectly admitting the real, far more complex crux of the matter in its final few paragraphs, the writer achieves her obviously intended effect of drumming up alarm about the Texas oil and gas boom.
Read more: http://onforb.es/19JEs2m
More industry news:
- Fracking in New York is a “Win-Win” for Everyone: http://bit.ly/12pP5Sh
- Keystone XL: Not Just a Pipeline, a Life-Line: http://bit.ly/18MgK0T
- Energy Industry Predicts It Will Need 500,000 New Workers Between Now and 2020: http://bit.ly/13TJDF0
- More Shale Energy Means More Energy Security: http://freepri.se/175Uq0R
- Will Keystone XL Decision Be Based on Incorrect Assumptions? http://bit.ly/15dcOq7
About The Author
Mary Schaper is a Digital Communications Manager for the American Petroleum Institute. She previously worked on Capitol Hill for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as Digital Director and for Senator Lisa Murkowski. Before coming to D.C., she spearheaded digital strategy for Murkowski's successful Senate write-in campaign in 2010. Schaper enjoys traveling and taking in the local culture alongside her husband, their son and loyal springer spaniel.