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SpaceX drilling for natural gas?
- Thread starter Cosmacelf
- Start date
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
To extract methane and convert it into hydrogen for the new coming refresh Tesla Model S that runs on hydrogen fuel cells
CyberGus
Not Just a Member
What?? I thought that's what the 4680 was for
adiggs
Well-Known Member
Vertical integration at its finest.
Hopefully, SpaceX doesn't innovate methane wells to the point of making fossil fuels a viable alternative to electrification....
Hopefully, SpaceX doesn't innovate methane wells to the point of making fossil fuels a viable alternative to electrification....
CyberGus
Not Just a Member
I searched the web for "battery-powered rocket" to make a joke, but I'll be damned:
Rutherford (rocket engine) - Wikipedia
Rutherford (rocket engine) - Wikipedia
Johan
Ex got M3 in the divorce, waiting for EU Model Y!
Not considered likely to have underground methane on Mars.
adiggs
Well-Known Member
What I got from the article is that the land already has drilled and producing wells. Whether they are economic for others to operate, the implication is sort of not as I think they were also shut in (or not particularly desirable wells).
I didn't see any indication that SpaceX would be getting any experience with drilling for oil/gas. But if they've got an economic transport method from well head to rocket facility fuel storage, then there may be some significant savings over trucking it in (I doubt they've got enough volume for a pipeline extension, but maybe they are planning ahead...)
IMHO, SpaceX should be installing solar fields, atmospheric CO2 capture, and synthetic methane generation equipment instead of drilling for fossil gas. They need the experience with syn-fuel for Mars anyway. It would reduce climate impact of Boca Chica rocket operations too.
adiggs
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure they're already doing this, for exactly the reasons you mention.
Thinking about this more, I think the local wells aren't for the activity we're seeing right now. It's looking ahead to when those offshore platforms are launching and landing starship multiple times / day (given that ever happens - but thinking ahead). They don't need increments for rocket testing - they need bulk quantities. At these volume levels, for constant flights hither and yon, manufacturing methane via the syn-fuel process (forget the name) probably doesn't scale the way they'd need it.
Then again, with offshore launch/land facilities my completely uninformed thought is that they could have nat gas tankers dock and unload directly to their near-site storage.
Here is the well that SpaceX supposedly owns. It sits right on the property that SpaceX is using for Starbase. Nothing has ever been drilled there. I expect SpaceX bought the property for the land and doesn't want someone to suddenly start drilling there. The rest is just speculation and paperwork. JMHO though.
www.mineralanswers.com
La Pita Oil & Gas Property - MineralAnswers.com
Current oil & gas activity for La Pita including production data, producing companies, new drilling permits, mineral values, and more.
www.mineralanswers.com
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