The Stream, May 2: Even More Oil and Gas Found Beneath North Dakota

A new analysis from the U.S. Geological Survey found even more oil and gas underneath North Dakota and Montana than analyses from five years ago. The new estimates found twice the volume of recoverable oil reserves, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported, and three times more natural gas, giving North Dakota’s fields the chance to become the ‘greatest’ in the continental U.S.

Texan Fracking and Funding Contests
One of the country’s fastest-growing shale oil and gas plays is facing limits imposed by scarce water supplies. Texas’ Eagle Ford shale drilling requires 4 to 5 million gallons of water per well, Reuters reported, draining aquifers that also support farming and local drinking supplies.

$US 2 billion in funding for water projects effectively died in the Texas House of Representatives Tuesday. The legislation is moving forward, StateImpact Texas reported, but funding will likely only come through at the last minute, if at all.

Chilean Drought Intensifies
Farmers in some part of New Mexico say this drought is the worst they’ve ever seen, and their chile crops may not survive the season. Surface water is well below optimal levels, KRQE reported, and groundwater is an unreliable supplement.