Fracking Causing Earthquakes? X(

[Bro.David Drake DeLaurento]

This is interesting!!

Even though this has been done for quite some time, but there is a drilling method called Fracking. Fracking is drilling with high pressure water and chemicals into deep layers of rock to release natural gas for consumers. The problem is that its causing seismic activity (earthquakes) and pollution deep within the earths crust. Many scientists have noticed an increase of water pollution in proximity to the drilling.

This is raising concerns. A good example is the West Virginia earthquake back in August where fracking was being done within the area. Every place where there is fracking, earthquakes have happened.

Its interesting how Satan again trying to destroy Jehovah's creation knowing he has little time left.

Brother Jacarz of the GB talked about how demon influence will be accelerated before the time of the end (Armageddon). Additionally, he talked about how the spirit of consumerism is drowning and exploiting Jehovah's wonderful works. Any thoughts?

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=safety-first-fracking-second

[ava]

I am in Texas, Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and a few years ago, they started drilling what is called the Barnett Shale. They are drilling for natural gas. Since it has started, there have been minor tremors all over. Of course, the corporations drilling claim it has nothing to do with the drilling, but it's too much of a coincidence. They are not major quakes, but small ones. Definitely is a bit nerve racking wondering if there will be a major quake down here.

[pinkpopcorn]

This is very interesting! We know that there are certain places in the earth that are on the fault lines and certainly we expect that seismic activity happens along those. I had not heard of the other that you are talking about until you posted this.

In the last 4 years there has been an earthquake out in the Gulf of Mexico. The tremor was felt at the Plant City Assembly Hall inland about 40 miles from the west coast. There are oil rigs out there!!!!! But they are out pretty far. YIKES! That means our state can be effected, as well as any that are not on fault lines where they have messed with the earth's crust.

[ava]

This is very interesting! We know that there are certain places in the earth that are on the fault lines and certainly we expect that seismic activity happens along those. I had not heard of the other that you are talking about until you posted this.

In the last 4 years there has been an earthquake out in the Gulf of Mexico. The tremor was felt at the Plant City Assembly Hall inland about 40 miles from the west coast. There are oil rigs out there!!!!! But they are out pretty far. YIKES! That means our state can be effected, as well as any that are not on fault lines where they have messed with the earth's crust.

They drill I think 8 miles down into the earth, and they shoot tons of water down there while they are drilling to keep the rock cool. By drilling and breaking the rock beneath the surface, the natural gas comes out. There are lots of complaints down here with all the drilling going on. Also, Texas is under a drought and these companies are using millions of gallons of water that we don't have to keep up their drilling.

You can't tell me that is not gonna cause some problems, lol.

[rocket]

I saw on a news magazine where they lit well water on fire from the Fracking. Pure unadulterated GREED.

[CMWYW]

I saw on a news magazine where they lit well water on fire from the Fracking. Pure unadulterated GREED.

Not just well water. Bath water and many peoples mainline drinking water. Some people need a danger flammable liquid sign at every water point in in their house as the gas infiltrates their water supply.

[Hammerhead]

Oil is a lubricant. While they suck oil up it leaves large voids and those tectonic plates are still under extreme pressure. There is no lubrication for them to slide around. Just my. 02

[Mei]

Very interesting David! There are numerous reports that the Large Hadron Collider, which lies in a tunnel 17 miles in circumference and as deep as 574 feet (less than a mile) in Geneva, Switzerland, is causing an increase (150%) in earthqueakes in the area according to statistics (since the machine switched on in 2010). Scientists are not certain but, many of them are researching whether Chili and Japan earthquakes (over 8.8 in the Richter scale - and first time in history) were "possibly" caused by the Hadron Collider a/k/a CERN a/k/a Higss Bosen. It makes sense that fracking would cause tremons just the same.

[Mei]

Hi Ava! From what I understanding the average depth during fracking is 8,000 feet (1.5 miles). Earthquakes are caused by changes in the magnetic field of the earth and there is no doubt, according to scientists, that hydraulic fracking causes mild to moderate shifts in the field. Some scientists also reported that fracking is causing mass bird and fish deaths. Very sad, indeed!

[ReadYourBible]

I live in (well 25km from) Edmonton, Alberta, but have worked for MANY oilfield companies (Schlumberger being the largest I have personally worked for with over 50,000 employees) we drilled/frac'd/cracked you name it, we took it out of the soil. We have no earthquakes, no tremors to speak of - yet we are the #1 supplier to the US (http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/100726/top-7-us-oil-importers).

I don't dispute the fact there are companies out there that are greedy, and do break the rules. However, oil companies have to observe stringent rules related to the environment, and they're heeded otherwise the company site is shut down and they lose billions of dollars a day because of it. So you might imagine how cautious these companies will be, not to cut off their cash flow. On the flip side, there are environmental watch dogs who show up out of the blue and test (which I think is FANTASTIC, it doesn't allow for any deviation from the law - and it is a law, otherwise heavy fines are imposed too)

It is my opinion that current information out there is biased, either one way or the other. The oilfields will tell you it's nothing, the environmentalists will tell you it's the cause of everything.

I think it lies somewhere down the middle, and it's a result of earthwide changes that may or may not have anything to do with our drilling. If you look at the geological history (16,000 years or so, you can see that the last ice age came then, and the earth changed around there too)

While this is my own personal opinion, I have often wondered if Jehovah is changing the planet for our habitation in the future. It says we will grow grain on the mountain tops - right now, there is no grain growing, it's too freaking cold.

I would like to show you something though, that breaks my heart...

To me, this is utter devastation of an area, however this same area, in another area looks like this:

Our own government has a mandate for reclamation of an area, http://www.oilsands.alberta.ca/reclamation.html

I'm not pro-oil companies, but nor am I totally against them. I think it is necessary given the time we live in to use the resources that we have, but to also pay close attention the impact their use causes.

I whole heartedly look forward to the day when we use the earth as Jehovah intended it.

[Mei]

Hi Sharon! You might be correct, but I recall reading an earlier article by the Council of Canadians whereby it was calling for a “nationwide stop on fracking” until further research had been conducted. Fracking is becoming a major issue all over in places where it is being conducted - Britain, Canada, U.S., etc. Here is yet a recent article (Nov. 1, 2011) asserting that the Council of Canadians celebrates Niagara-on-the-Lake resolution calling for a moratorium on fracking: http://www.canadians.org/media/water/2011/01-Nov-11.html

I am not against oil companies either. In fact, oil companies are our livelihood here in my part of the world (in fact many of my family members work for oil companies) and I certainly hate to admit it but fracking is creating all sorts of other health issues as well - water pollution, “burning water” where water from household taps catches fire due to residual methane gas from fracking operations, endangering groundwater aquifers and threaten to pollute nearby water-wells, etc.

According to geologists, it isn’t fracking itself that is linked to earthquakes, but rather the re-injection of waste salt water (as much as 3 million gallons per well) deep into rock beds. Industry scientists deny the link to earthquakes, arguing that energy companies have been fracking for nearly sixty years. However, it’s only a dozen years ago that “slick-water fracks” were introduced. It is this form of fracking that uses huge amounts of water mixed with sand and dozens of toxic chemicals like benzene, all of which is injected under extreme pressure to shatter the underground rock reservoir and release gas trapped in the rock pores. Geologists are adamant that since the inception of slick-water-fracks, a myriad (thousands) of earthquakes occurred in surrounding areas.

Like you, I “wholeheartedly look forward to the day when we use the earth as Jehovah intended it” to be used. :-)

[sianrose]

Fracking tests near Blackpool 'likely cause' of tremors It is "highly probable" that shale gas test drilling triggered earth tremors in Lancashire, a study has found. But the report, commissioned by energy firm Cuadrilla, also said the quakes were due to an "unusual combination of geology at the well site". It said conditions which caused the minor earthquakes were "unlikely to occur again". Protesters against fracking, a gas extraction method, said the report "did not inspire confidence". Six protesters from campaign group Frack Off climbed a drilling rig at one of Cuadrilla's test drilling sites in Hesketh Bank, near Southport, ahead of the report.

They oppose fracking, a controversial extraction method which blasts water into rock to release shale gas, because they fear it is not safe. full article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-15550458

[LeslieDean]

As I have said before we lived on the largest active producing oilfield in the Western US.. That is what my pseudo brain tumor stems from--contaminated water and air supply from the oil field. My daughter and grandsons lived with us for 10 months in the beginning of our stay there. When Halliburton would frac for oil the water supply would be cut off from our house because the water pressure would be diverted to shooting the water into the ground. Periodically everyday you could expect the water to be off. As they amped up their drilling production the water would be off for days at a time. Before it really got bad I had colored my hair and went to the sink to rinse the dye out and sorely discovered the water was off. I moaned loudly and my three year old grandson ran into the kitchen and said: "What's wrong grandma?" I told him I was going to have to call my husband and tell him where he could bring some water home quick> When Rick returned my call I heard my grandson say to him on the phone "oh no Grandpa--it's those fracing oil wells" We all had a good laugh about that. Innocense at its sweetest.

[Rosalie4u]

Wow, I find this very interesting. We have been having an increase in bird deaths, fish deaths, etc. as well as earthquakes in areas they don't normally have earthquakes. An acquaintance family just moved to ND (very close to Canadian border) to work where they are doing the shale oil drilling. It makes me wonder.

[trottigy]

Interesting news article:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/17/us/vermont-fracking/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Vermont first state to ban fracking

(CNN) -- Vermont's governor has signed a bill making it the first U.S. state to ban fracking, the controversial practice to extract natural gas from the ground.

"This is a big deal," Gov. Peter Shumlin said Wednesday. "This bill will ensure that we do not inject chemicals into groundwater in a desperate pursuit for energy."

Shumlin said fracking contaminates groundwater and the science behind it is "uncertain at best." He said he hopes other states will follow Vermont's lead in banning it.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has unleashed a boom in energy production in the United States by allowing the extraction of oil and gas from shale rock. Supporters say it has reduced the country's oil imports, boosted natural gas production and provided thousands of jobs.

Most major oil companies are now involved in shale oil and gas production, including Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and BP.

But the process has also raised fears of ground water contamination and is suspected of causing mild earthquakes.

Fracking involves injecting water, sand and some chemicals deep into the earth to crack shale rock, which frees oil and gas. Critics fear the chemicals are seeping into the groundwater.