This kinda sorry never would have happened in Savannah.
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| Science & Technology |
| U.S. States Confront Worries about Fracking, Quakes |
| 2014-06-27 |
| [AnNahar] Earthquakes used to be almost unheard of on the vast stretches of prairie that unfold across the U.S. Midwestern states of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. But in recent years, they have become commonplace. Oklahoma recorded nearly 150 between January and the start of May. Most were too weak to cause serious damage or endanger lives. Yet they've rattled nerves and raised suspicions that the shaking might be connected to the oil and gas drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, especially the wells in which the industry disposes of its wastewater. Now governments in all three states are confronting the issue, reviewing scientific data, holding public discussions and considering new regulations. The latest example comes Thursday in Oklahoma, where hundreds of people are expected to turn out for a meeting that will include the state agency that regulates oil and gas drilling and the Oklahoma Geological Survey. States with historically few earthquakes are trying to reconcile the scientific data with the interests of their citizens and the oil and gas industry. In recent weeks, nighttime shaking in Oklahoma City has been strong enough to wake residents. The state experienced 145 quakes of 3.0 magnitude or greater between January and May 2, 2014, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey. That compares with an average of two such quakes from 1978 to 2008. North Texas has had 70 earthquakes since 2008 as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey, compared with a single quake, in 1950, reported in the region before then. Regulators from each state met for the first time in March in Oklahoma City to exchange information on the quakes and discuss toughening standards on the lightly regulated business of fracking wastewater disposal. "This is all about managing risks," said Oklahoma Corporation Commission front man Matt Skinner. "It's a little more complicated than that because, of course, we're managing perceived risks." In Texas, residents from the town of Azle, which has endured hundreds of small quakes, went to the state Capitol earlier this year to demand action by the state's chief oil and gas regulator, known as the Railroad Commission. The commission hired the first-ever state seismologist, and politicians formed the House Subcommittee on Seismic Activity. After Kansas recorded 56 earthquakes between last October and April, the governor appointed a three-member task force to address the issue. Seismologists already know that hydraulic fracturing — which involves blasting water, sand and chemicals deep into underground rock formations to free oil and gas — can cause microquakes that are rarely strong enough to register on monitoring equipment. However, some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves... fracking also generates vast amounts of wastewater, far more than traditional drilling methods. The water is discarded by pumping it into so-called injection wells, which send the waste deepunderground. No one knows for certain exactly what happens to the liquids after that. Scientists wonder whether they could trigger quakes by increasing underground pressures and lubricating faults. Another concern is whether injection well operators could be pumping either too much water into the ground or pumping it at exceedingly high pressures. Still, seismologists — and the oil and gas industry — have taken pains to point out that a clear correlation has not yet been established. Nationwide, the United States has more than 150,000 injection wells, according to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and only a handful have been proven to induce quakes. Nonetheless, ExxonMobil is supporting a study by Southern Methodist University, company front man Richard Keil said. "We're sort of in wait-and-see mode," he said. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #10 Most edicational site on the web and its all from the comments and snark. Love Rantburg. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2014-06-27 22:09 |
| #9 Yet they've rattled nerves and raised suspicions that the shaking might be connected to the oil and gas drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking Idiots. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2014-06-27 14:38 |
| #8 Yep, life's dangerous even in Charleston. This kinda sorry never would have happened in Savannah. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-06-27 11:10 |
| #7 They keep discovering new faults in California all the time, that's cause they're looking. How long have they been looking in the Plains area? Low population density, lower attention span. Remember the New Madrid fault in the middle of America is basically known because humans were around to record it when the last big one went off. States with historically few earthquakes.. There's that word again 'historically'. How long have they've been keeping systematic records? It's a problem when people suddenly start paying attention to stuff most people didn't notice before. see - Seattle Windshield Pitting Epidemic |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-06-27 09:34 |
| #6 Silentbrick is right; some (40?) years ago we investigated the feasibility of 'managing' the stress on known and very dangerous faults - like the San Andreas - and concluded it could probably be done but would involve almost constant mild shaking, and also would transfer stress to other faults, subjecting them to more major failure. Worse, legal liability for all damage, real or imagined, from any quakes would fall onto the organizations and people trying to manage the program (that same logic is now hampering attempts to even predict or warn of earthquake hazard.) |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2014-06-27 09:30 |
| #5 |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-06-27 08:05 |
| #4 Exactly what I thought Ship. Immediately wondered where this came from after reading the 1st sentence. What US citizen considers TX and OK to be "Midwestern" (some may consider Kansas to be that). Most everyone I know consider them to be Southwestern. And, brick has a very valid point. While annoying, this may be a good thing, especially as fracking closes in on the New Madrid fault. That one is overdue for a BIG quake, according to geologists. |
| Posted by: BA 2014-06-27 07:57 |
| #3 We've known for decades that injecting water into deep wells near faults can cause the faults to release their tension. Wastewater and pressure waves from fracking is doing the same thing. So, releasing the tension in minor faults before it builds up to high levels is ACTUALLY A GOOD THING. Would you rather have a 2-3 magnitude quake now or a 6-7 one later? |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2014-06-27 06:22 |
| #2 LOL, transparent self-interest alert. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-06-27 03:27 |
| #1 As I've said times before, in future time or coming decades fracking will be outlawed as "Crime agz the Planet/Environment" + Planet. The greatest single threat to desired OWG-NWO vee GWCC remains the lack of common consensus among World Govts-Perts, i.e. "The Consensus is there is no Consensus". |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2014-06-27 01:14 |