From the Northern Colorado Business Report (Steve Lynn):
Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water are used for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a technique that involves blasting a drilled hole with water, sand and chemicals to release oil and natural gas from porous rock formations.
“There’s definitely more of a demand for water because they are fracking,” said Don Foster, CEO of Foster’s Trucking. Foster’s is one of multiple water transport businesses in Northern Colorado, including Integrity Trucking, Magna Energy Services, Devoe Trucking and A&W Water Service, a subsidiary of publicly traded Superior Energy Services. Foster recently invested $1.05 million in seven new water tanker trucks, which hold 6,400 gallons of water each. Last fall, he expanded from running the business out of his 2,200-square-foot Barnesville home to a 10,000-square-foot building east of the Weld County Airport. He also hired seven new drivers and now employs 18 people…
Oil and gas companies depend on haulers for fresh water as Northern Colorado leads the state’s oil production. In 2012, the state produced 48 million barrels, the most since 1957. Water management can represent around 10 percent of total drilling costs, said Doug Flanders, director of policy and external affairs for the Colorado Oil & Gas Association. Transporting water represents 60 to 80 percent of that cost. “Water hauling and the availability of those commercial trucks, businesses and services are critical to the oil and gas operations,” Flanders said…
Foster’s workers bring large fracking tanks that look like construction bins to well sites, where horizontally drilled wells can use more than 2 million gallons of water.
He acknowledges the controversy over fracking, but points out that the technique uses little of Colorado’s water supply.
Uses very little. The problem is that the water is gone forever. At least with farming, it cycles back through the water table. With fracking, what does come back up is poisoned. Such a deal!