BillHustonBlog: There is something really strange about this fracking with diesel story...

There is something quite strange
about the "fracking with diesel" story.

e.g.,
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/19/19greenwire-two-oil-field-companies-acknowledge-fracking-w-90863.html

I'm having a little trouble elucidating it.
Maybe someone else can do better?

So, diesel has another purpose than as fracking fluid
... er, as fuel?

An often missing piece of the Shale Gas equation is
energy inputs. Shale gas is extremely expensive
to get to, in terms of energy inputs. Think of all
the diesel fuel for the water trucks (water is heavy to
pump and trasnport), gas/electric for compressors, etc. etc.

Yet, this story puts this right in front of our eyes:
Using one kind of fuel (diesel) to get to another fuel (methane).

And what about the energy costs were there
to get, refine, and transport the diesel?
Let's count that too!

In what kind of cost-benefit equation would this
all make sense?

If the payback was 1c of diesel to get 100c of gas?
with no environmental impacts?

What about if it was actually
1c of diesel to get 5c of gas with great environmental impacts?
Then it would make a lot less sense....

Now what would be totally insane is
if the energy in was greater then the energy out.
Ein > Eout.

Yet, this possibility exists!
And while it would be insane for long-term energy policy,
it could be quite attractive to someone
who profits from mining or economic transactions.

(the people investing borrowed/fabricated money
on Marcellus Shale exploration profit from transactions)

So I hope someone is looking into this.

Are we wasting the last bits of stored carbon fuels
in a desperate attempt to exploit and exhaust the last drop?

Let's assume the fundamental premise of our paradigm
is sustainability, not growth. Then, wouldn't it make sense
to invest the last bits of our one-time bank account of sequestered carbon
on a sustainable future, as quickly as possible?

BH

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 7:02 PM, Sue Heavenrich <sueheaven@gmail.com> wrote:

Even though the drilling industry - way back in 2005 - signed some memorada of agreement with EPA about NOT fracking with diesel, they've continued the practice. Their justification? Well, since EPA didn't expressly SAY no more diesel fracking, it must still be OK. EPA, for it's part, thought that it had made it clear - diesel fracking was verboten under the Safe Drinking Water Act & would require permits under the UIC program.
Two ships passing in the night - or fog - or blizzard..... anyway, as a result more than 32 million gallons of diesel fuel were injected into frack jobs from 2005 - 2009, with close to 600 gallons used in PA. Read more at marcelluseffect.blogspot.com - there's also a link to the Congressional investigation findings.
~Sue

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