In addition to use of water for cooling and in the production of goods such as beer, methane may be extracted from water pumped from coal fields, Coal-bed methane extraction. This process, being used intensively in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, poses problems with respect to both ground water levels and disposal of contaminated water by use of disposal wells. See The Wikipedia article "Coal bed methane extraction"
Hydraulic fracturing[]
Another industrial use, hydraulic fracturing, "fracking", associated with production of natural gas or oil from tight shale formations involves injection of chemically treated water into the formation to break the rock and release the gas. Questions are raised regarding migration of the treated water into water supplies. This affects New York City which draws water from aquifers near the Marcellus Shale formation. It is estimated that each well consumes 1 to 5 million gallons of water over a 3 to 5 day period.[1] See The Wikipedia article "Hydraulic fracturing"
Notes[]
- ↑ "Unlocking the Secrets Behind Hydraulic Fracturing" article by Kate Galbraith in The New York Times January 14, 2012