New Man-Made Earthquake Map Adds to State Efforts to Reduce Seismic Activity

USGS Induced Earthquake Report

 

Compiled by Jason Doyle Oden

For the first time the United States Geological Survey has released a map of man-made earthquakes showing Oklahoma and Texas to have the most induced seismic activity. Governor Fallin said it demonstrates that the actions the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is taking to reduce quakes related to wastewater injection wells are justified.

As research continues to build showing that disposal wells injecting produced wastewater into the Arkbuckle formation are linked to the increased strength and number of earthquakes in Oklahoma, the Corporation Commission has asked oil and gas producers in seismic prone areas to decrease or quit injecting the wastewater. Last month, the regulators issued a wide area plan to reduce earthquakes.

“Recent declines in produced wastewater disposal in Oklahoma are not reflected in the USGS map,” Fallin said. “This gives us even a stronger base in going forward and gives state regulators further justification for what they are doing.”

Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy agreed with Fallin on the justification for her agency’s actions to curb seismic activity.

“The new map released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) today is another element that clearly shows the need for the actions that have been taken by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) to reduce the risk of induced earthquakes in Oklahoma. The latest OCC Oil and Gas Conservation Division (OGCD) plans cover not only the state’s earthquake areas, but also areas that haven’t had major seismic activity,” said Murphy.

The new map puts the earthquake data collected in 2015 into a graphic picture to illustrate where the man-made activity is occurring. Fallin said Oklahoma will continue to work with the industry and scientists to find solutions to the state’s growing earthquake activity.

“Oklahoma remains committed to doing whatever is necessary to reduce seismicity in the state. The report supports the actions that we are taking,” said Fallin.

That includes tasking the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management with creating a response plan in case of an earthquake which causes large-scale damage.

“In Oklahoma, we recognize the importance of being prepared for all types of disasters that could affect the state, including earthquakes,” Emergency Management Director Albert Ashwood said. “The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is reviewing the report released today by the United States Geological Survey to determine how it may aid our catastrophic earthquake planning efforts. However, it is important to note that for emergency management, the cause of a disaster is not as critical as the outcome of the event and how it impacts our residents, infrastructure and communities. Preparing for, responding to, recovering from and mitigating against those outcomes will continue to be our focus.”

Murphy adds that the USGS maps will add to the data which scientists can use in their research of the issue. That research plays a key role in the actions taken by the Corporation Commission.

“The OCC has taken more than 25 actions over the past three years, and the response will continue to evolve with the science and the research. There is no doubt that will be the case when it comes to development of a model to predict induced seismicity risk for a given area. This first effort by the USGS is understandably limited in scope, but continued development will provide another important tool for Oklahoma and other states that are working to reduce earthquake risk,” said Murphy. “As I said last summer in support of the first OGCD area-wide volume reduction plan, we must continue to take progressive steps based on the latest scientific data and research as quickly as possible to resolve this complex and challenging public safety issue.”

However, one of the groups representing Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry does not believe the USGS used the right approach in designing the map. According to Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association Induced Seismicity Workgroup Chairman Kim Hatfield the map doesn’t reflect the true nature of disposal wells.

“Oklahoma’s independent oil and natural gas producers acknowledge the importance of the issue of induced seismicity, but we are concerned with the approach outlined by the USGS. The USGS study admits the complexity of the question of induced seismicity but then makes the flat assumption that any seismicity in the central U.S. in proximity of a wastewater well would be classified as an induced event. This follows a statement that most injection wells are not associated with earthquakes. In a state like Oklahoma with more than 10,000 injection wells, it is difficult to find any phenomenon that is not in proximity to an injection well. This simplistic approach makes it difficult to arrive at robust solutions,” said Hatfield. “Oklahoma oil and natural gas producers have taken significant steps to work with regulators and meet Corporation Commission directives pertaining to wastewater disposal. Under directions from the OCC, disposal well operators have spent more than $50 million to adjust their wells’ depths with the aim of reducing the potential risk of contributing to seismic activity. With increasing restrictions on disposal volumes in specific areas of interest in the state, the economic impact of limited production is far greater.”


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