Originally Posted: February 18, 2016
Oklahoma is dealing with earthquakes, so why isn’t Texas?
Texas regulators seem to have a tough time finding a link between injection wells used to dispose of hydraulic fracturing wastewater and seismic tremors. A SMU-led study team found a probable association but the Texas Railroad Commission continues to challenge those findings.
Now let’s drive north to Oklahoma. Oil and gas regulators there this week asked the operators of about 250 injection wells to reduce the amount of wastewater they inject into the ground by 40 percent. They also want operators in western Oklahoma to reduce injections by more than 500,000 barrels a day. The earthquake activity demands a regional response, which they noted in their press statement:
“…there is agreement among researchers, including our partners at the Oklahoma Geological Survey, that the data clearly underscored the need for a larger, regional response. That is why, even as we took actions in various parts of the region in response to specific earthquake events, we were already working on a larger plan.”
Oil and Gas Conservation Division Tim Baker says while the plan is a response to the continued seismicity in the area, the action will also include areas that are not yet experiencing major earthquakes. READ MORE