[Red Badger]

Couldn’t they use salt water?....................

[MaxMax]

No way, that would lower the ocean level.

[Vigilanteman]

I don't see why not. Current fracking water here in Pennsylvania is sent to a facility to be reprocessed for removal of contaminants. Salt is, by far, the major contaminant.

Of course, we're talking California here. Using seawater would involve building some type of pipeline or hose and that might disturb the habitat of some newly discovered sub-species of dung beetle or something . . .

[thackney]

Ocean water is packed with biologicals that would plug the hole in the pores the oil needs to flow through. Even single algae and the like could grow and destroy the formation from production. It would be quite expensive to clean up enough to use.

Also,I have been reading for at least a year how poorly the Monterey responds to hydro frac due to the multitude of existing twisted fractures. They have had better results with acid treatment and some other completion methods.