RIGZONE – Report: Texas Could Face 2.7 Trillion Gallon Water Shortfall by 2060.
The state of Texas could face a 2.7 trillion gallon water shortfall by 2060, according to a recent report by Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. To address this potential shortfall, the state should offer tax incentives to oil and gas companies to substitute brackish groundwater for fresh water, according to the report “Water Use for Hydraulic Fracturing: A Texas Sized Problem?” The report research was compiled by students with the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics and Public Policy, which is part of The Bush School. The use of hydraulic fracturing in shale exploration in the United States has allowed the nation to become the world’s largest producer of oil and gas. However, the process has been heavily scrutinized due to the amount of water used for production, especially in Texas, which has large demands placed on its limited water supply. According to the report, hydraulically fractured wells typically need approximately 5 million gallons of water per well. “Unfortunately, no one but the companies themselves has good information about which companies do and do not use brackish water,” Dr. Lori Taylor, director of the Mosbacher Institute, told Rigzone in an email statement.
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