Happy New Year, boys. Time to renew your contracts and jack up your spin fees.
The public debate over environmental and health risks associated with natural gas fracking (hydrofracturing) was one of the hottest environmental issues of 2011 in the Northeast. The news of the Ohio quakes can only spur efforts by opponents of fracking to ban or significantly curb the use of the controversial gas-extraction process.
The Christian Science Monitor in How fracking caused an Ohio earthquake notes that the quake was not caused by fracking wells themselves but apparently by an well used to inject waste fluids from the fracking process back into porous rock formations deep underground.
It's not the first time that Ohio had encountered seismic problems related to fracking injection wells.
The Monitor reports that a "string of quakes last year prompted the state to ban drilling new wastewater-injection wells within five miles of the well suspected of triggering the temblors. At the state's request, the well itself was shut down Dec. 24."
Ohio is not alone. In July, the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission banned wastewater-injection wells from a 1,150-square-mile area overlying key shale deposits because of increased earthquake activity linked to the wells, according to the Monitor story.
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Related:
Oil and gas 'fracking' wastewater caused 11 earthquakes in Ohio
Ohio delays four fracking wastewater wells in wake of quake
Serious questions over technique for drilling for natural gas
Ohio earthquake further evidence of link to drilling waste disposal
Ohio earthquake further evidence of link to drilling waste disposal
Federal court freezes EPA cross-state air pollution rules
Time runs out on Delaware's offshore wind project
Philadelphia now recycling milk & juice containers, too
In NJ, a clash over control of environmental regulations
EPA report links fracking to groundwater contamination
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THis is from drilling for natural gas?
ReplyDeleteYes, that is the question being asked. Can the drilling associated with natural gas exploration (hydrofracturing) or the re-injection of fracking waste water into underground rock voids cause an earthquake? There is general agreement that the issue requires more study before definitive answers can be provided.
ReplyDelete