The Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association said further study is necessary despite Tuesday’s announcement by the Oklahoma Geological Survey indicating the state’s rise in earthquakes was “very likely” caused by wastewater disposal wells.
Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association President Chad Warmington said additional research is needed to determine how disposal wells, which have been used in Oklahoma for decades, can be operated without causing further earthquakes.
“There may be a link between earthquakes and disposal wells, but we – industry, regulators, researchers, lawmakers or state residents – still don’t know enough about how wastewater injection impacts Oklahoma’s underground faults,” he said.
Warmington said oil and natural gas producers have contributed valuable, proprietary seismic data to researchers to improve fault maps. He said producers also have agreed to provide additional information about their disposal well operations to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as it works to mitigate the risk of induced seismicity.
Warmington maintained that a moratorium on disposal wells is not feasible. “Not only would that halt oil and natural gas production in Oklahoma, there is no scientific evidence that stopping wastewater injection would result in fewer earthquakes,” he said. “That is why we need a better understanding of what is causing our earthquakes.”
Warmington noted disposal well operators have voluntarily ceased operation of specific wells linked to earthquakes.
He said safety continues to be a priority for the state’s oil and gas producers, with an eye toward protecting the environment, the community and their workers.
