Using a growing body of research –– and trial and error ––
scientists and state regulators are gradually getting closer to pinpointing the
cause of the startling increase in earthquakes near fracking operations
in the Central and Eastern U.S., and how to prevent them.
In Stateline.org, Jen
Fifield writes:
Fifield writes:
After restricting oil and natural gas operations in certain
hotspots, Oklahoma is feeling an average of about two earthquakes a day, down
from about six last summer, and Kansas is feeling about a quarter of the
tremors it once did.
hotspots, Oklahoma is feeling an average of about two earthquakes a day, down
from about six last summer, and Kansas is feeling about a quarter of the
tremors it once did.
The general cause,
scientists have found, is not drilling, but what happens after, when operators
dispose of wastewater that comes up naturally during oil and gas extraction.
The operators inject the wastewater into disposal wells that go thousands of
feet underground, which can increase fluid pressures and sometimes cause faults
underneath or nearby to move.
scientists have found, is not drilling, but what happens after, when operators
dispose of wastewater that comes up naturally during oil and gas extraction.
The operators inject the wastewater into disposal wells that go thousands of
feet underground, which can increase fluid pressures and sometimes cause faults
underneath or nearby to move.
Since March 2015, Kansas
and Oklahoma have limited how much wastewater each operator in certain areas
can dispose of at a given time.
and Oklahoma have limited how much wastewater each operator in certain areas
can dispose of at a given time.
To gather more data,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas are expanding their seismic monitoring systems
this year, placing permanent stations across the states and moving temporary
stations to new hotspots. And Oklahoma and Texas hired more staff or are
contracting with scientists to study the geology of areas where earthquakes are
occurring, the details of the quakes that happen, and the oil and gas activity
that may be associated with them.
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas are expanding their seismic monitoring systems
this year, placing permanent stations across the states and moving temporary
stations to new hotspots. And Oklahoma and Texas hired more staff or are
contracting with scientists to study the geology of areas where earthquakes are
occurring, the details of the quakes that happen, and the oil and gas activity
that may be associated with them.
About 7 million people in
the Central and Eastern U.S. are at risk of man-made earthquakes powerful
enough to crack walls, according to a one-year United States Geological Survey
forecast released in March. The report outlined the risk from man-made
earthquakes for the first time, listing the states with the highest risk in
order as Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Arkansas.
the Central and Eastern U.S. are at risk of man-made earthquakes powerful
enough to crack walls, according to a one-year United States Geological Survey
forecast released in March. The report outlined the risk from man-made
earthquakes for the first time, listing the states with the highest risk in
order as Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Arkansas.
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