Salvador Espada-HinojosaJan 10

(es:) se habla mucho estos días de reservas las venezolanas probadas de petróleo, pero me da la impresión de que no profundizamos. Es #fracking en todo el #Orinoco. ¿De verdad querríamos destruirlo?

(en:) Orinoco river fracking sounds bad idea to me, on top of everything else
(CC-BY-SA 3.0 by Yosemite)

Show threadRobert H

@feministo

#Venezuela #Orinoco oil is not suitable to fracking. It needs steam extraction, like Canadian oil. Orinoco oil has very high sulfur levels, up to 5%.

Trump is right about one thing. It makes good asphalt.

Mar 15 at 12:10pmWeb
Show threadSalvador Espada-HinojosaMar 15

@Stinson_108

I stand corrected, thanks.

How environmentally aggressive is this steam extraction?

Show threadRobert HMar 15

@feministo

Steam extraction typically involves burning the natural gas component to make steam to heat the ground. The dirty water goes back into the ground. The CO2 goes into the atmosphere.

It's a matter of efficiency. Burn the methane at the well to extract more oil, or sell the methane to conumers who burn it at home. Same amount of CO2 either way.

https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/venezuelas-oil-claims-are-slick-goopy-mess-2026-01-08/

Show threadRobert HMar 15

@feministo

#Canada is considering allowing #mining #wastewater to be disposed in rivers instead of pumping it back undergoround.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/health/canada-oil-sands-fort-chipewyan-alberta.html

Cancer Haunts Neighbors of Canada’s Oil Sands Wastelands

Though high rates of the disease persist among the nearby Indigenous communities, the Canadian government is weighing rules that may allow energy giants to release treated mining waste into the river system.

The New York Times
Show threadSalvador Espada-HinojosaMar 15

@Stinson_108

thanks a lot, Robert