Economics

Learn about the economic impacts of the oil and gas industry through FracTracker articles, maps, and imagery.

The Economics of Oil and Gas

In our fight to slow the advent of a climate catastrophe through the build-up of greenhouse gases, many scientists, policy-makers and environmental advocates have focused largely on the extraction of fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel extraction is only one of the culprits in the build-up of carbon in the atmosphere. To avoid run-away global warming, it’s essential that we look at other significant anthropogenic forces, including our patterns of consumption and the associated environmental costs.

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Since late 2021, FracTracker has been collecting information on cryptomining operations around the United States, and has partnered with Global Energy Monitor to further research, document, and map many more of these cryptocurrency mining operations. Our interactive map shows how widespread these facilities are throughout many parts of the United States. Read more

Related Articles

These FracTracker articles and maps explore the the economics of fracking, the oil and gas industry, and the economic implications involved in transitioning to clean energy alternatives.

California well pad

Chevron’s $2.3 Billion Asset Adjustment Raises Questions Amidst Regulatory Changes in California

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Information disclosed in Chevron’s 2023 Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Form 10-K filed on February 26, 2024, suggests Chevron was hoping to eventually offload its idle wells to a limited liability company to avoid the cost of properly decommissioning its wells in California.
FracTracker Alliance, 2024

Index of Oil and Gas Operator Health in California Shows Risks to State Economy and Taxpayers

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Though a handful of California of oil and gas operators continue to produce profitable volumes of oil, the majority of California operators, including the state’s oil and gas major corporations, Chevron, Aera Energy, and California Resources Corporation, are producing very low average volumes of oil per well.

Pennsylvania Watersheds at Risk: Water Supply Decline

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Watersheds in Pennsylvania are at risk for water supply issues in the coming years as a result of fracking activities that are threatening the quality and quantity of fresh water.
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