Tag Archives: Oklahoma Earthquakes

Oklahoma regulator issues new regional protocol to curb earthquakes

FILE PHOTO - An oil pumpjack is seen in Velma, Oklahoma U.S. April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Luc Cohen

By Liz Hampton

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Oklahoma’s oil and gas regulator on Tuesday released new requirements aimed at reducing the risk of earthquakes from hydraulic fracturing in shale regions in central and southern areas of the state.

The new protocol, issued by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), comes in addition to existing rules that apply to a 15,000 square mile area targeted by the regulator for its high rate of temblors from wastewater injection.

The new requirements are aimed at completion activities in the SCOOP and STACK shale producing areas, where drilling is picking up as U.S. oil prices have climbed above $60 a barrel this year.

The state in recent years saw a surge in earthquakes due to the injection of saltwater produced from oil and gas drilling activities into disposal wells. In 2015, there were 903 magnitude 3.0 or higher earthquakes, versus just 41 temblors of that intensity five years earlier, according to Oklahoma Geological Survey data.

Under the new rules, operators will be required to have access to a seismic array that gives real-time information on earthquakes. The rules also lower the threshold for which an operator must take action to a magnitude 2.0 quake from 2.5, and require some operators to pause operations for six hours in the event of a 2.5 magnitude quake.

Previously, operators were only required to pause operations for a magnitude 3.0 or higher quake.

There have been 80 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in the SCOOP and STACK area of Oklahoma since December 2016, Matt Skinner, public information manager for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, said on Tuesday.

“Ultimately, the goal is to have enough information to develop plans that will virtually eliminate the risk of a felt earthquake from a well completion operation in the SCOOP and STACK,” said Jeremy Boak, director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey, in a release. Earthquakes that fall below 2.5 magnitude are usually not felt but can be measured on seismographs.

Well completion activities are less likely to produce induced earthquakes than wastewater injection, geologists said in a release issued by the OCC on Tuesday.

The SCOOP and STACK have far less water associated with drilling activities than Oklahoma’s Arbuckle formation, which was linked to a high rate of temblors from wastewater injection, they added.

The jump in earthquakes has drawn increased attention in recent years, particularly after some larger quakes have occurred near the massive oil storage hub of Cushing, Oklahoma.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton; Editing by Tom Brown)

Oklahoma Quake triggers some disposal well shut downs

A pump jack operates at a well site leased by Devon Energy Production Company near Guthrie, Oklahoma

By Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton

PAWNEE, Okla., Sept 3 (Reuters) – One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in Oklahoma rattled the area northwest of Pawnee on Saturday, fueling  growing concern about seismic activity linked to energy production, a federal agency said.

The magnitude 5.6 quake, which was felt from South Dakota to Texas, prompted the closure of some 35 wastewater disposal wells in the area, officials said.

It shallow quake struck 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Pawnee in north-central Oklahoma at 7:02 a.m. CDT (1302 GMT). Its 5.6 magnitude  matched a 2011 earthquake for the biggest on record in the state, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in Pawnee, where about 25 percent of the residents are Native Americans. Damage in the town appeared to be minor, and the Pawnee Nation declared a state of emergency for its area.

“You heard it before it happened,” Pawnee resident Jasha Lyons Echo-Hawk said. “Watching my drawers all shake out and my headboard rattle, it felt like I was watching ‘Paranormal Activity.’ It felt like I was in a movie.”

Pawnee Mayor Brad Sewell said the tremor lasted nearly a minute, far longer than previous ones that lasted only a second or two. Part of the facade of an early 20th-century bank building fell into a downtown street, he said.

The earthquake, which was only 4.1 miles (6.6 km) deep,  could fuel concerns about the environmental impact of oil and gas drilling, which has been blamed for a massive spike in minor to moderate quakes in the region.

Following the tremor, the state Corporation Commission ordered 35  wastewater disposal wells within a 500-square-mile (1,295-square-km) area to shut down, Governor Mary Fallin said via Twitter.

Oklahoma has been recording 2-1/2 earthquakes daily of magnitude 3 or greater, a seismicity rate 600 times greater than before 2008, the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) said.

Oklahoma’s economy is heavily dependent on energy production, which accounts for one of every four jobs in the state.

Oklahoma geologists have documented links between increased seismic activity in the state and the injection into the ground of wastewater from oil and gas production, according to a report from a state agency last year.

The drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” also generates large amounts of wastewater. The OGS report said fracking is responsible for only a small percentage of the total volume of injected wastewater.

Zachary Reeves, a seismologist with the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado, said the agency had received reports of the Oklahoma quake from South Dakota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington and Chris Prentice in New York; Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by James Dalgleish and Sandra Maler)

Oklahoma hit by more than 400 earthquakes in first two months of 2016

Oklahoma was shaken by more than 400 earthquakes in the first two months of 2016, the latest in a state that has experienced a marked increase in seismic activity in recent years.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data shows the Sooner State experienced about 430 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in January and February, an average of more than seven per day.

About 240 quakes of that magnitude occurred elsewhere in the continental United States during the same time frame, according to a searchable earthquake archive on the USGS website.

Magnitude 2.5 is the minimum strength reported on the USGS’s earthquake tracker.

Oklahoma rarely experienced earthquakes of that size before 2009, when the state’s seismic activity began to surge. USGS data shows the state was hit by about nine earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in 2008, and that number rose to more than 2,700 last year.

The uptick has been linked to wastewater produced by the oil and gas industries, and state officials have taken steps to limit the amount of wastewater that can be disposed in wells.

Both the USGS and Oklahoma Geological Survey have issued warnings about the increase in earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater, saying the rise in quakes of that size increases the odds that Oklahoma will experience a larger, potentially more damaging earthquake in the future.

USGS data shows Oklahoma felt about 169 quakes of that size in January and February. The rate, an average of more than two per day, places it on pace to break the 2015 total of about 900.

The agency has said that Oklahoma’s average was about two per year between 1978 and 2008.

This year’s events include a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that occurred on Feb. 13 near Fairview. That is the state’s third-largest quake on record, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey.

Three days later, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission announced it was implementing its biggest plan to reduce wastewater disposal yet, affecting 245 disposal wells across more than 5,200 square miles. Researchers recommended the plan should be implemented gradually over the next two months to avoid sudden pressure changes, the commission said in a news release.

In late January, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin announced that $1.4 million would be withdrawn from the state’s emergency fund and given to earthquake researchers and regulators.

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits Oklahoma, state’s third-strongest on record

Oklahoma was hit by one of the strongest earthquakes in the state’s history over the weekend.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck just after 11 a.m. on Saturday, and it was centered about 21 miles northwest of Fairview. According to the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS), it was the third-strongest quake ever recorded in the state.

Residents reported feeling strong-to-very-strong shaking near the quake’s center, according to user-submitted data on the USGS website. The agency says such shaking is capable of causing light or moderate damage, but there weren’t any such reports from Saturday’s earthquake.

Cities hundreds of miles away from Fairview experienced lighter shaking.

They included Oklahoma City (100 miles southeast), Fayetteville, Arkansas, (256 miles east), Dallas-Fort Worth (275 miles south) and Kansas City (300 miles northeast), the USGS said.

Five smaller earthquakes followed within 65 minutes of the initial quake, according to the USGS. Those other quakes ranged in magnitude from 2.5 to 3.9.

Oklahoma has seen a significant rise in seismic activity since 2009, and officials have linked the rise to wastewater from oil and gas production. Regulators have taken steps to limit its disposal.

However, the USGS says more than 300 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater have occurred in Oklahoma in the first 46 days of 2016. That includes eight earthquakes above magnitude 4.0.

Oklahoma only saw 21 magnitude-4.0-or-greater quakes in a 64-month stretch from January 2009 to May 2014, the USGS said in a news release at the time. That includes a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that occurred in November 2011 near Prague, the strongest in the state’s history.

Oklahoma’s second-strongest earthquake was a magnitude 5.5 quake that occurred in April 1952 near El Reno, according to the OGS. The state hasn’t witnessed any other magnitude 5.0 quakes.

However, the USGS and OGS have both warned the recent rise in Oklahoma’s earthquake activity increases the risk that the state could be hit by an even bigger quake in the future.

Last month, Fairview was hit by 20 earthquakes in a span of about nine hours, including two just 30 seconds apart. Those nearly back-to-back earthquakes were initially reported to be

Quakes in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas rise as global averages remain constant

The central United States saw a rise in seismic activity last year, seismologists said Monday.

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas combined to witness 32 earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.0 in 2015, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said in a news release announcing last year’s global earthquake totals, nearly doubling the 17 quakes of that size that hit those states in 2014.

The news will hardly surprise residents of Oklahoma, which has seen a dramatic rise in quake frequency and magnitude since 2009. Officials have linked the surge to wastewater from oil and gas companies operating in the state, and regulators have taken steps to reduce its production.

Globally, however, the USGS said last year’s quake totals were “on par with prior year averages.”

The world usually sees about 14,500 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater and 18 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater every year, according to the USGS. Last year, those totals were 14,588 and 19, respectively, though the numbers may change pending a final review.

While earthquake totals might not have increased, the USGS reported they were far deadlier.

The organization said earthquakes killed 9,612 people last year, up from the 2014 total of 664.

Nearly 9,200 of them were killed in magnitude 7.8 and 7.3 earthquakes that hit Nepal in April and May, the USGS said. The first and more powerful quake on April 25 killed 8,964 people, and 218 died in the May 12 quake. Another 430 died in quakes in Afghanistan, Malaysia and Chile.

While Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas saw some powerful earthquakes, they didn’t see the most powerful one to hit the United States last year. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake off the coast of Alaska’s remote Unmak Island in July holds that distinction, according to the USGS.

However, Oklahoma’s trend of increased activity appears to be carrying over into the New Year.

The state has already seen seven earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in 2016, USGS data indicates. This year’s quakes include a Jan. 6 magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Fairview that is one of the strongest in the state’s history, according to Oklahoma Geological Survey records.

Oklahoma experienced just 21 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in a 64-month stretch from January 2009 to May 2014, the USGS said in a news release at the time. That included a magnitude 5.6 quake that hit near Prague in November 2011, the state’s strongest on record.

Both the USGS and Oklahoma Geological Survey have cautioned the rise in Oklahoma’s earthquake activity increases the risk that the state could see an even bigger quake.

Oklahoma isn’t the only state where earthquakes pose a risk to the public.

The USGS reported last August that about 143 million people in the continental United States live in areas where they could be exposed to potentially damaging earthquake tremors. That was nearly double its previous estimate of 75 million people, published in 2006. The organization said the rise was the result of population shifts and a better understanding of seismic activity.

California, Washington, Utah, Tennessee, Oregon, South Carolina, Nevada, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois are the states with the most people exposed to potentially damaging shaking, the USGS said.

Oklahoma earthquakes raise calls for restrictions on energy firms

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – Earthquakes in Oklahoma in the past week, including one of the strongest ever recorded in the state, have led to calls for the governor to make changes to oil and gas drilling regulations and reduce seismic activity scientists link to the energy industry.

Two large earthquakes were recorded in northwest Oklahoma on Wednesday, including a magnitude 4.8 quake. The quakes were part of a surge in seismic activity over the past several years.

Scientists have tied a sharp increase in the intensity and frequency of quakes in Oklahoma to the disposal of saltwater, a byproduct of oil and gas extraction, into deep wells. Oil fields have boomed in Oklahoma over the past decade thanks to advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.

State Representative Richard Morrissette, a Democrat who has said the state’s Republican leaders are not doing enough to address the problem, will host a public forum at the Capitol on Friday to discuss the rash of earthquakes.

He wants the state to halt operation of injection wells at quake sites and do more to prevent them from causing quakes.

“No one in a position of authority is taking this seriously,” said Morrissette, who accused the state’s leadership of bowing to pressure from the energy industry.

Morrissette is hoping to build grassroots support to take on the oil and gas drilling industry, a powerful player for decades in the state and a major source of employment.

The industry is Oklahoma’s largest source of private capital spending and tax revenue and accounts for about 10 percent of the state’s annual economy, according to the Oklahoma State Chamber, which represents more than 1,000 Oklahoma businesses.

Although the quakes last week caused no major reported damage or injuries, they left many Oklahomans shaken. Firms providing quake insurance saw a surge in calls inquiring about coverage.

“We don’t have overall data on how much injection is going on in this area, but we attribute most of the earthquakes these days to deep injection of produced oil wastewater,” said Jerry Doak, director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey.

State leaders have been instituting changes, but critics said they have not gone far enough.

In response to the quakes, Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, said last week that the state has been regulating disposal wells, taking some steps to limit their injection rate and depth of their injections.

“Science is ever-evolving as to what actually causes earthquakes. We know that disposal wells can cause earthquakes, but not all earthquakes. There are fault lines that are just natural in Oklahoma,” she told The Oklahoman newspaper.

Energy companies have also been responding.

Phillips 66 has overhauled how it plans for earthquakes, a sign U.S. energy companies are starting to react to rising seismicity around the world’s largest crude storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, site of many disposal wells.

The changes include new protocols for inspecting the health of crude tanks, potentially halting operations after temblors, and monitoring quake alerts.

(Reporting by Heide Brandes; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Oklahoma city shaken by 20 earthquakes in 9 hours

A small city in Oklahoma was hit by 20 earthquakes in nine hours overnight, including a pair of particularly strong ones just 30 seconds apart, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The earthquakes occurred between 10:27 p.m. and 7:40 a.m. and were centered just northwest of Fairview, a city of about 2,600 people that sits about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

The swarm began with magnitude 4.7 and magnitude 4.8 earthquakes 30 seconds apart. The second quake was the strongest in the state since November 2011, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, and only three stronger earthquakes have occurred in Oklahoma since 1882.

The 18 quakes that followed ranged in magnitude from 2.5 to 4.0, USGS data indicates.

The strongest earthquake could be felt more than 100 miles away in other parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, according to user-submitted reports published on the USGS website. There was no indication that any of the 20 earthquakes caused any significant damage or injuries.

Last April, the Oklahoma Geological Survey issued a statement saying the state’s seismicity rate was 600 times greater than it was before 2008. Wastewater from the oil and gas companies that operate in the state has been linked to the rise, and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has taken steps to limit the amount of wastewater in an attempt to reduce the overall risk of quakes.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission on Monday announced additional steps it would take to limit such waste near Edmond, which had felt two sizeable earthquakes in recent days — a magnitude 4.3 earthquake on Dec. 29 and a magnitude 4.2 earthquake on New Year’s Day.

But USGS data indicated three smaller earthquakes occurred near Edmond between 7:20 p.m. Wednesday and 12:42 a.m. Thursday. The tremors ranged in magnitude from 2.5 to 3.2.

Edmond, one of Oklahoma’s largest cities, is located 15 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey and USGS have both warned the increase in large earthquakes — those greater than magnitude 3.0 — puts Oklahoma more at risk for even bigger earthquakes.