South Texas Oil and Gas Boom Means More Tanker Traffic

The oil and gas boom in South Texas is great for business, but bad for drivers and passengers who must share the road with oil tankers.

2012-03-01

March 01, 2012 (Press-News.org) Already a prominent oil and gas state, Texas can expect its contribution to the nation's energy resources to keep growing. Take the Barnett Shale formation, for instance, near Fort Worth. The Barnett Shale already produces six percent of all natural gas produced in the entire 48 contiguous states, with more production expected.

Texas Shale Formations & Hydraulic Fracturing

Extracting trapped natural gas from the reservoirs of layered shale rock has, for the first time in just the last several years, become practical and profitable.

Conventional drilling equipment is not strong enough to get through hard shale rock. Enter "hydrofracking," which is the use of pressurized fluid (a mixture of water and chemicals) to open existing cracks in the shale. The liquid mixture is sent through a well bore, opening up the shale and allowing natural gas to find its way to the surface.

Without a doubt, hydrofracking technology has brought new vitality to the oil and gas business in areas where drilling simply was not possible - but that new vitality has brought with it a heavy increase in oil tanker traffic and tractor trailer accidents on South Texas roads that weren't designed for such use.

More Highway Traffic from Oil & Gas Drilling Means More Accidents

More activity in the oil and gas industry is certainly good economic news. In the Barnett Shale alone, some estimates show that production has increased by a factor of 30 in recent years, and neighboring shale formations hold equal promise. The Woodford Shale, for example, north of the Barnett Shale, extends into Oklahoma and is currently being targeted by oil and gas companies. The Woodford Shale is thought to have produced only 15 to 20 percent of total capacity thus far.

But the new oil and gas boom is not without its potential risks to local motorists and commuters on Texas highways. Oil and gas companies operate all types of tanker trucks on South Texas roadways, heading to and from the Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford Shale formations, and sometimes not a day goes by without hearing about an accident or having a close call.

Oil tanker drivers are under a lot of pressure to complete their runs and drive long hours, which can lead to accidents because drivers were just too tired to be behind the wheel. Other tanker truck accidents result from overcrowding on the highways. Some tankers simply take up too much space. Still other accidents come from driving under the influence, speeding, or poor maintenance.

If you've been injured in a motor vehicle accident involving an oil tanker or other type of tanker truck, consider speaking with a personal injury lawyer about your case.

Article provided by The Law Offices of Tyler & Peery
Visit us at www.texas18wheeleraccidents.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Exotic material boosts electromagnetism safely

2012-03-01

DURHAM, N.C. -- Using exotic man-made materials, scientists from Duke University and Boston College believe they can greatly enhance the forces of electromagnetism (EM), one of the four fundamental forces of nature, without harming living beings or damaging electrical equipment. This theoretical finding could have broad implications for such applications as magnetic levitation trains, which ride inches above the tracks without touching and are propelled by electro-magnets. As the term indicates, EM is made up of two types of fields – electric and magnetic. Alternating ...

Do women with bulimia have both an eating disorder and a weight disorder?

2012-03-01

Researchers at Drexel University have found that a majority of women with bulimia nervosa reach their highest-ever body weight after developing their eating disorder, despite the fact that the development of the illness is characterized by significant weight loss. Their new study, published online last month in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, adds to a body of recent work that casts new light on the importance of weight history in understanding and treating bulimia. "Most patients lose a lot of weight as part of developing this disorder, and all dedicate ...

Commentary in Nature: How do you stop a synthetic-biology disaster?

2012-03-01

Experts say at least $20 million to $30 million in government research is needed over the next decade to adequately identify and address the possible ecological risks of synthetic biology, an emerging area of research focused on the design and construction of new biological parts and systems, or modification of existing ones, to create new applications in areas ranging from energy to chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Without key research into these risks and appropriate federal oversight, certain synthetic organisms might survive and flourish in natural environments, wreaking ...

No workout? No worries: Scientists prevent muscle loss in mice, despite disease and inactivity

2012-03-01

If you want big muscles without working out, there's hope. In the March 2012 print issue of the FASEB Journal, scientists from the University of Florida report that a family of protein transcription factors, called "Forkhead (Fox0)" plays a significant role in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Specifically, they found that interfering with the activity of these transcription factors prevents muscle wasting associated with cancer and sepsis, and even promotes muscle growth. This discovery is likely to be relevant to any disease, condition or lifestyle that leads to ...

Federal laws have enhanced pediatric drug studies

2012-03-01

WASHINGTON — Federal laws that motivate or require drug and biologic developers to conduct pediatric studies have yielded beneficial information to guide the use of medications in children, says a new report by the Institute of Medicine. Still, studies involving children continue to be limited, especially in certain areas such as medications' use in newborns and long-term safety and effectiveness in children. The report identifies ways that Congress and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could further improve the utility of clinical information obtained from pediatric ...

55 People Indicted in California-Based Federal Tax Fraud Scheme

2012-03-01

Though tax fraud schemes are common, the indictment of 55 people in a single case is not. In early October 2011, a federal grand jury indicted 55 business owners and customers of two southern California businesses, as well as the attorneys, tax preparers and other professionals working with them, in one of the largest tax fraud cases ever seen. Through two companies, Old Quest Foundation and De la Fuente and Ramirez and Associates, the defendants are accused of fraud against the government, seeking around $270 million in fraudulent tax returns. De la Fuente and Ramirez ...

Nanofiber breakthrough holds promise for medicine and microprocessors

2012-03-01

NEW YORK, February 29, 2012 – A new method for creating nanofibers made of proteins, developed by researchers at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), promises to greatly improve drug delivery methods for the treatment of cancers, heart disorders and Alzheimer's disease, as well as aid in the regeneration of human tissue, bone and cartilage. In addition, applied differently, this same development could point the way to even tinier and more powerful microprocessors for future generations of computers and consumer electronics devices. The details are ...

In what ways does lead damage the brain?

2012-03-01

NEW YORK (Feb. 29, 2012)—Exposure to lead wreaks havoc in the brain, with consequences that include lower IQ and reduced potential for learning. But the precise mechanism by which lead alters nerve cells in the brain has largely remained unknown. New research led by Tomás R. Guilarte, PhD, Leon Hess Professor and Chair of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and post-doctoral research scientist Kirstie H. Stansfield, PhD, used high-powered fluorescent microscopy and other advanced techniques to painstakingly chart the varied ...

Winning makes people more aggressive toward the defeated

2012-03-01

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In this world, there are winners and losers – and, for your own safety, it is best to fear the winners. A new study found that winners – those who outperformed others on a competitive task – acted more aggressively against the people they beat than the losers did against the victors. "It seems that people have a tendency to stomp down on those they have defeated, to really rub it in," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University. "Losers, on the other hand, don't really act any more ...

Teaching Hospitals Have Higher Risk of Complications

2012-03-01

According to Medicare's first public evaluation of hospitals' records on patient safety, patients are at a heightened risk for preventable conditions when going to teaching hospitals in America. The Medicare program found that Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University Hospital, and the Cleveland Clinic were some of the institutions having more complications than average, according to an article from The Washington Post. The Medicare reimbursement to the hospitals are based on a number of things, some including readmission rates, how patients rate their stays, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Increase in alcohol deaths in England an ‘acute crisis’

Government urged to tackle inequality in ‘low-carbon tech’ like solar panels and electric cars

Moffitt-led international study finds new drug delivery system effective against rare eye cancer

Boston stroke neurologist elected new American Academy of Neurology president

Center for Open Science launches collaborative health research replication initiative

Crystal L. Mackall, MD, FAACR, recognized with the 2025 AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology

A novel strategy for detecting trace-level nanoplastics in aquatic environments: Multi-feature machine learning-enhanced SERS quantification leveraging the coffee ring effect