injection wells News

Number of Strong Earthquakes in Oklahoma Continues to Decline

Regulators and scientists say the number of 3.0 magnitude or stronger earthquakes in Oklahoma is declining. The Oklahoma Geological Survey reports the number of quakes of at least that magnitude during 2017 was 294 through mid-December, compared to 624 total …

Study: Injection Wells, Agriculture Harming Bays in Maui

A team of University of Hawaii scientists has completed a study of nearshore ecosystems across Maui that shows the impact of discharged treated wastewater. The findings were published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE earlier this month. The scientists analyzed …

Oklahoma Agency Gets Grant for Well-Tracking System

The state is trying to make it easier for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to gather data on wastewater disposal wells with a new digital system. Gov. Mary Fallin’s office announced a research grant from the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board will …

Quakes Spur more Study of Wells by Oklahoma Corp. Commission

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission said it is placing more than 200 oil and natural gas wastewater disposal wells under scrutiny as the regulatory agency investigates whether the wells are triggering earthquakes in the state. The main focus of the action …

Natural Gas Firm Says It’s Not Causing Texas Quakes

A natural gas extraction company controlled by energy giant Exxon Mobil sought to prove on June 10 that it is not to blame for a recent rash of small earthquakes in North Texas, telling a powerful state agency that it …

Bill Banning Local Drilling Rules Passes Oklahoma House

Legislation that prohibits cities and towns from regulating oil and natural gas drilling operations was approved by the Oklahoma House on April 22, one day after the Oklahoma Geological Survey said it is “very likely” that a swarm of recent …

Texas Earthquake Swarm Linked to Drilling, Wastewater Injection

With real-time monitors, scientists have linked a swarm of small earthquakes west of Fort Worth, Texas, to nearby natural gas wells and wastewater injection. In 84 days from November 2013 to January 2014, the area around Azle, Texas, shook with …

Geologists Look for Earthquake, Fracking Connection in Kansas

For at the last 15 months, Kansas geologist Rex Buchanan estimates, he’s spent 90 percent of his time studying something once relatively rare in the state — earthquakes. He has learned a lot, said the director of the Kansas Geological …

Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Develops Earthquake Plan

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission now has a plan for future earthquakes after two small quakes rattled an area in Weld County that officials later determined were likely caused by a nearby injection well. The commission said NGL …

Oklahoma Agency Working to Reduce Earthquake Risks

The Oklahoma Geological Survey has begun work on plans to reduce the risk of oil-field work involving injection wells that some believe may be causing earthquakes. The Tulsa World reported that a summary report said the risk of oil field-caused …