“The problem is that much of the technology used in fracking were originally developed in California in order to pump out the molasses-quality California crude oil found west and southwest of Bakersfield, CA. Banning fracking would unintentionally ban that gas/fluid injection technology, and the big oil companies (like Chevron, based in San Ramon, CA) would be upset to no end. “
actually, very little of the California crude is produced via fraccing. I can only think of the very low perm, high porosity diatomite Shell has at Belridge that requires this.
Most of the thick crude you are referring to that is produced in CA is due to steam injection, which begain by Getty at the Kern River field in the 60s, and is still a top producing field to this day.