![]() Parts of the Arbuckle are highly fractured with expansive systems of cavities and caverns that the energy sector found perfect for dumping wastewater. ![]() The majority of the state’s wastewater is deposited in the Arbuckle formations, which are underground reservoirs of dolomite, limestone and other rocks. The seismicity rate in Oklahoma is about 600 times greater than it was before 2008, around the time dewatering started in the state. “The primary suspected source of triggered seismicity is not from hydraulic fracturing but from the injection/disposal of water associated with oil and gas production,” the report from the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) reads. Andrews and state seismologist Austin Holland say the spike in earthquakes - particularly in central and north-central areas of the state - is “very unlikely to represent a naturally occurring process.” On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) issued its most strongly worded statement yet linking the oil and gas industry to the state’s earthquakes. Now, as the public absorbs this information, Oklahoma’s regulatory bodies are keeping a watchful eye on these disposal wells and planning their next moves. State scientists say they have uncovered the root cause of the majority of the state’s earthquakes: the oil and gas industry’s disposal of billions of barrels of water underground. The onslaught of seismic activity in Oklahoma in recent years has captured the attention of the nation. Updated : New well and permit data added.Drilling rigs dot the landscape in northern Oklahoma on Nov.17, 2013. For an interactive map of those quake-related actions, click here. The Corporation Commission’s scrutiny of disposal wells and permits in quake-prone regions has led to at least 18 sanctions - through actions known as directives or orders - StateImpact reported in a January 2015 investigation. For more information on the exact earthquake-related “traffic light” requirements the well is operating under, click the link at the bottom of the info box to view a copy of the interim order.Īlso included in the map, for reference, are 4.0-magnitude quakes recorded from 2013 - when the Corporation Commission first started scrutinizing disposal well permits and sanctioning wells because of quake concerns - to 2015. The info box has details, including the name of the well’s operator, the date when the temporary permit was signed, and the date of its review. We’ve mapped them all, using documents and data obtained from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission through Open Records Act requests.Ĭlick around and explore the map. So far, eight disposal wells have been issued these “traffic light” permits. The language of these interim orders differs from well to well, but they generally limit injection pressures and volumes, and define “red light” conditions that require the operator to shut the well down if earthquake activity in the area increases. New disposal wells located within six miles of the epicenter of a 4.0 magnitude or larger earthquake, or within two miles of faults the Oklahoma Geological Survey has determined to be particularly risky, are issued temporary “traffic light” permits. ![]() Oklahoma’s surge in earthquakes and possible links to oil and gas activity has led regulators to scrutinize permits for disposal well operators in quake-prone regions of the state. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |