Fracking in the Sunshine State

[don]

There's a bill in the Florida legislature to allow fracking in the state. Florida has a reputation for sinkholes.

Do you think fracking in Florida will:

Reduce the number of sinkholes from appearing

Increase the number of sinkholes appearing

Have no effect on sinkholes

Corollary question: are sinkholes considered an act of god by RE insurance carriers?

just a baby sinkhole

[BiscayneSunrise]

Re: Fracking in the Sunshine State

As you know Florida sits on a soft and crumbly limestone bed, hence all the sinkholes. Do you think high pressure fracking would be overkill for the geology here?

With the exception of a few very small wells in the western Everglades, I had thought Florida had no significant fossil fuel deposits. Perhaps, though, geologist have discovered some worthwhile deposits very deep, where the geology does lend itself to fracking.

[Fiat Currency]

Re: Fracking in the Sunshine State

Corollary question: are sinkholes considered an act of god by RE insurance carriers?

Hmmm. I've got this one ... Big Oil fracs, Wall Street Finances - together they own the government. Big Oil was clearly sub-contracting on behalf of FIRE. Ipso facto then, JP Morgan Chase is not only involved - they are the U.S. Dollar ($) … then yes, clearly they were doing God's work, so it's an act of God. However, due to recent bi-partisan changes to the U.S. Treasury act, FIRE Companies are exempt from paying the damages to normal citizens, unless the full cost of the damages plus a 27% handling fee are covered by the Federal Reserve.

But you knew that all along.

[GRG55]

Re: Fracking in the Sunshine State

As you know Florida sits on a soft and crumbly limestone bed, hence all the sinkholes. Do you think high pressure fracking would be overkill for the geology here?

With the exception of a few very small wells in the western Everglades, I had thought Florida had no significant fossil fuel deposits. Perhaps, though, geologist have discovered some worthwhile deposits very deep, where the geology does lend itself to fracking.

If there are hydrocarbons and they are in carbonate (e.g. limestone) reservoirs the completions won't be massive fracs. They are more likely to be acid stimulations.

[photon555]

Re: Fracking in the Sunshine State

Since the southern part of the state is only a few feet above sea level, the fracking wouldn't have to cause much subsistence for all those senior citizens to float gently out to sea, thus putting off the Social Security/Medicare debacle. Another plus for FIRE is the elimination of a state with no income tax and too much influence on the Presidential election. A very big ROI even if no oil is produced. The northern part of the state is redneck country but could be annexed by Detroit to increase its tax base. FWIW, I consider myself an honorary redneck since I was born in Miami.
Of course, sinkholes are not limited to FL. Several years ago a large sinkhole swallowed the west bound lane of I-70 on the east side of Frederick, MD, here where we live.

When we lived in Tallahassee in the early 1980's, residents living close to Lake Jackson north of the city heard a giant flushing sound one night. In the morning the lake was gone. For several months a number of civic organizations participated in collecting all the beer cans on the bottom of the lake, until it began to refill. This link explains the nature of the lake.
http://www.lakejacksonturtles.org/APPENDIX_A.PDF

As to whether fracking increases sinkholes, the one sure way to find out is to frack like crazy and see what happens. Worst case, I'm sure we can count on a bailout for any banks affected.