Systems and methods for transporting seawater from a seawater source to an inland site for utilization as a drilling and/or fracturing fluid are disclosed. In an aspect, systems and methods are disclosed wherein seawater is extracted from an ocean at a coastal location and transported to an inland drilling and hydraulic fracturing site via a railway-based transportation system, thereby providing a consistent, large volume supply of seawater for use in drilling and/or hydraulic fracturing operations. Such systems and methods may eliminate usage of locally-sourced fresh water, eliminating the unsustainable burden that drilling and hydraulic fracturing places on local water tables.
