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- Research has provided a better understanding of the factors that induce seismicity. Although existing faults and fractures are generally stable, changes in subsurface pore pressure, for example due to the injection or extraction of fluid from Earth's subsurface, may change the crustal stresses acting on a nearby fault and induce a seismic event. Net fluid balance appears to have the most direct correlation to the magnitude of induced seismic events, thus, energy technology projects that maintain a balance between the amount of fluid injected and the amount withdrawn may induce fewer felt seismic events than technologies that do not maintain balance.
- Although the general mechanisms that create induced seismic events are well understood, scientists are currently unable to accurately predict the magnitude or occurrence of such events due to the lack of comprehensive data on the complex natural rock systems at particular energy development sites. Predictions of induced seismicity at specific energy development sites will continue to rely on both theoretical modeling, and data and observations from measurements made in the field.
- Of all the energy-related injection and extraction activities conducted in the United States, only a very small fraction have induced seismicity at levels noticeable to the public (that is, above magnitude 2.0). Different energy technologies typically use different injection rates and pressures, fluid volumes, and injection duration—factors that affect the likelihood and magnitude of an induced earthquake.
- Geothermal energy—the use of heat from the Earth as an energy source—usually attempts to maintain a balance between fluid volumes extracted for energy production and those replaced by injection, which reduces the potential for induced seismicity. However, site-specific characteristics can make a difference. For example, the high-pressure hydraulic fracturing undertaken to produce geothermal energy from hot, dry rocks has caused seismic events that are large enough to be felt.
- Conventional oil and gas development extracts oil, gas, and water from pore spaces in rocks in subsurface reservoirs. Incidences of felt induced seismicity from conventional oil and gas development appear to be very rare.
- Shale formations may contain oil, gas, and/or liquids. Shales have very low permeability that prevent these fluids from easily flowing into a well bore, and so wells may be drilled horizontally and hydraulically fractured to allow hydrocarbons to flow up the well bore. Hydraulic fracturing to date has been confirmed as the cause for small, felt seismic events at one location in the world. The process of hydraulic fracturing a well as presently implemented for shale gas recovery does not pose a high risk for inducing felt seismic events.
- Tens of thousands of waste water disposal wells have been drilled in the United States to dispose of the water generated by geothermal and oil and gas production operations, including shale gas production. Water injection for disposal has been suspected or determined a likely cause for induced seismicity at approximately 8 sites in the past several decades. However, the long-term effects of increasing the number of waste water disposal wells on the potential for induced seismicity are unknown, and wells used only for waste water disposal usually do not undergo detailed geologic review prior to injection, in contrast to wells for enhanced oil recovery and secondary recovery.
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Wastewater Injection Spurred Biggest Earthquake Yet, Says Study | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Scientists have linked a rising number of quakes in normally calm parts of Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Colorado to below-ground injection. In the last four years, the number of quakes in the middle of the United States jumped 11-fold from the three decades prior, the authors of the Geology study estimate. Last year, a group at the U.S. Geological Survey also attributed a remarkable rise in small- to mid-size quakes in the region to humans. The risk is serious enough that the National Academy of Sciences, in a report last year called for further research to “understand, limit and respond” to induced seismic events. Despite these studies, wastewater injection continues near the Oklahoma earthquakes.
Where have you been the last few years? |
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I've been hanging out in a place loaded with energy activity where I've never felt an earthquake.
In the past several years, some energy technologies that inject or extract fluid from the Earth, such as oil and gas development and geothermal energy development, have been found or suspected to cause seismic events, drawing heightened public attention. Although only a very small fraction of injection and extraction activities among the hundreds of thousands of energy development sites in the United States have induced seismicity at levels noticeable to the public, understanding the potential for inducing felt seismic events and for limiting their occurrence and impacts is desirable for state and federal agencies, industry, and the public at large. To better understand, limit, and respond to induced seismic events, work is needed to build robust prediction models, to assess potential hazards, and to help relevant agencies coordinate to address them.
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It's a valid question, do you want to deal with it?
Face it Tal, the fear-mongering is unfounded and unsupported by the facts - just as Obama blaming global warming for the Central California drought is unsupported by the facts. You expect us to be happy with soaring energy prices over the fear of a statistical possibility near zero and pay through the nose for food because of man-made drought to save a minnow. No wonder your side believes astrology is science. |
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Oh the drama. No of course I don't care that Azle residents are worried about earthquakes. I also hate gays, blacks, women and kick puppies every chance I get.
"I'd say it certainly looks very possible that the earthquakes are related to injection wells," he said in an interview from Austin.
Frolich notes, however, that thousands of such wells have operated in Texas for decades, with no quakes anywhere near them. He adds that there are probably a thousand unknown faults beneath Texas. |
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The problem is your side says "don't do it period" because there MIGHT be an almost zero possibility of an earthquake somewhere. We can't finish a pipeline that would be safer than trucks, trains and barges because there MIGHT be a leak some day. That's where your knees jerk.
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the greenies ignore that some of their clean energy solutions have been directly responsible for seismic shifts ... projects like hydropower reservoirs ,geothermal energy and carbon sequestration have caused quakes .
Filling this dam caused a 6.3 richter quake . Koyna Dam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia there are some who claim that the Zipingpu Dam in Sichuan caused a 7.9 quake that killed 70,000 people in China . And of course geothermal drilling has long been a concern. How Does Geothermal Drilling Trigger Earthquakes? - Scientific American Geothermal power facility induces earthquakes, study finds - UC Santa Cruz |
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There are a lot of unintended consequences of all energy production and most of them cannot be dealt with without complete cessation of activity and perhaps not even then. There are few renewable technologies that don't have consequences somewhere. What we need to do is responsibably manage risk and not exploit resources that have unexpectable levels of risk. Shale oil is one industry that does have unacceptable levels of risk, If the Canadians want to export it let them build a pipeline across the Rockies or to Hudson Bay or some such and it you want to export your product then build the pipeline or not but do so for real not imagined reasons
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Law allowing Keystone pipeline in Nebraska struck down
Dave Domina, the lawyer who handled the case for the landowners, said in a statement that the ruling is "not about the merits of any pipeline in particular" but is instead "a landowner rights case."
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