ABSTRACT
The practice of fracking in capturing oil and natural gas depends heavily on a sizeable supply of water in the process. The introduction of large-scale fracking in the United States propelled the country into the front lines of oil and gas producers in the twenty-first century just as traditional extraction techniques raised America to its leadership role in the petroleum industry many decades earlier. The fracking process is known to produce microearthquakes, and in several cases larger earthquakes in specific regions have been attributed to fracking operations. In 2021, several stories appeared in a variety of environmental publications claiming that fracking also has led to millions of gallons of toxic waste being dumped into the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico, like the United States, offered great potential for natural gas and shale oil production. Even more than in the United States, the twin issues of water and drought had a major impact on the future of fracking in Mexico.
