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Energy companies buying water for Colo. fracking
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 10:57 AM by AP Posted by James H Egbert
DENVER (AP) - The push to extract natural gas along Colorado's Front Range depends on using another valuable natural resource water.
The Denver Post reported Wednesday that oil and gas companies have purchased at least 500 million gallons
of water this year for hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" along the Front Range. Greeley, Longmont and Loveland are among the cities that have leased water to the companies.
Between 1 and 5 million gallons of water are needed to frack a well.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Association estimates that it would take 6.5 billion gallons of water a year to drill the Niobrara formation. The industry says that's a relatively small amount given that the state as a whole uses more than 100 times of water a year.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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