Skip to main content
WET WEST

Farmers Race Frackers for Water

As oil production expands in Western states.

cheats/2012/09/06/farmers-race-frackers-for-water/water-fracking-farming-midwest-cheat_fgmzes

Seth Perlman / AP Photo

Farmers are racing against oil and gas companies in America’s western states as the energy producers sop up precious water resources for use in fracking—a drilling procedure that shoots pressurized water and chemicals deep into wells to unlock fossil fuels. Fracking at a single well site could use as much as five million gallons of water, a resource that is also in demand among farmers in the region who don’t have the power of a massive company behind them. Oil and gas industry officials say claims of shortage made by farmers are exaggerated.

Read it at The New York Times

TRENDING NOW