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Fracking: Earthquakes triggered in slow slipping, domino-like fashion

#1
C C Offline
https://phys.org/news/2019-05-earthquake...zones.html

EXCERPT: . . . researchers at Tufts University have discovered that the practice of subsurface fluid injection used in 'fracking' and wastewater disposal for oil and gas exploration could cause significant, rapidly spreading earthquake activity beyond the fluid diffusion zone. [...] the study, published today in the journal "Science", tests and strongly supports the hypothesis that fluid injections are causing potentially damaging earthquakes further afield by the slow slip of pre-existing fault fracture networks, in domino-like fashion. The results account for the observation that the frequency of man-made earthquakes in some regions of the country surpass natural earthquake hotspots. The study also represents a proof of concept in developing and testing more accurate models of fault behavior using actual experiments in the field [...]

The hazard posed by fluid-induced earthquakes is a matter of increasing public concern in the US. The man-made earthquake effect is considered responsible for making Oklahoma— a very active region of oil and gas exploration—the most productive seismic region in the country, including California. "It's remarkable that today we have regions of man-made earthquake activity that surpass the level of activity in natural hot spots like southern California," said Robert C. Viesca, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tufts University's School of Engineering, co-author of the study and Bhattacharya's post-doc supervisor. "Our results provide validation for the suspected consequences of injecting fluid deep into the subsurface, and an important tool in assessing the migration and risk of induced earthquakes in future oil and gas exploration." (MORE - details)
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#2
Syne Offline
Even if true...and? I haven't heard of any significant damage done by earthquakes in Oklahoma, and definitely no where near the damage of tornadoes...which can be life-threatening.

And this looks a lot more like political-driven correlation than causation.
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#3
Magical Realist Offline
Yeah..earthquake science is all part of the big liberal conspiracy. What an idiot..
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#4
Syne Offline
(May 3, 2019 06:57 PM)Magical Realist Wrote: Yeah..earthquake science is all part of the big liberal conspiracy. What an idiot..

No conspiracy necessary for people stupid enough to claim they want clean energy but scorn nuclear power. Mistaking correlation for causation is bad science, and only science-illiterate morons fall for it.
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#5
Magical Realist Offline
(May 3, 2019 10:44 PM)Syne Wrote:
(May 3, 2019 06:57 PM)Magical Realist Wrote: Yeah..earthquake science is all part of the big liberal conspiracy. What an idiot..

No conspiracy necessary for people stupid enough to claim they want clean energy but scorn nuclear power. Mistaking correlation for causation is bad science, and only science-illiterate morons fall for it.

What does not liking nuclear energy have to do with scientific studies showing fracking causes earthquakes?
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#6
Syne Offline
(May 3, 2019 11:30 PM)Magical Realist Wrote:
(May 3, 2019 10:44 PM)Syne Wrote:
(May 3, 2019 06:57 PM)Magical Realist Wrote: Yeah..earthquake science is all part of the big liberal conspiracy. What an idiot..

No conspiracy necessary for people stupid enough to claim they want clean energy but scorn nuclear power. Mistaking correlation for causation is bad science, and only science-illiterate morons fall for it.

What does not liking nuclear energy have to do with scientific studies showing fracking causes earthquakes?

First, thanks for admitting you can't tell the difference between correlation and causation, like the aforementioned science-illiterate morons.
Second, you're even more ignorant if you have no clue that those most against fracking also tend to be those most against nuclear power. One has nothing to do with the other aside from the imbeciles who hold such ignorant views.
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#7
RainbowUnicorn Offline
(May 2, 2019 10:08 PM)C C Wrote: https://phys.org/news/2019-05-earthquake...zones.html

EXCERPT: . . . researchers at Tufts University have discovered that the practice of subsurface fluid injection used in 'fracking' and wastewater disposal for oil and gas exploration could cause significant, rapidly spreading earthquake activity beyond the fluid diffusion zone. [...] the study, published today in the journal "Science", tests and strongly supports the hypothesis that fluid injections are causing potentially damaging earthquakes further afield by the slow slip of pre-existing fault fracture networks, in domino-like fashion. The results account for the observation that the frequency of man-made earthquakes in some regions of the country surpass natural earthquake hotspots. The study also represents a proof of concept in developing and testing more accurate models of fault behavior using actual experiments in the field [...]

The hazard posed by fluid-induced earthquakes is a matter of increasing public concern in the US. The man-made earthquake effect is considered responsible for making Oklahoma— a very active region of oil and gas exploration—the most productive seismic region in the country, including California. "It's remarkable that today we have regions of man-made earthquake activity that surpass the level of activity in natural hot spots like southern California," said Robert C. Viesca, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tufts University's School of Engineering, co-author of the study and Bhattacharya's post-doc supervisor. "Our results provide validation for the suspected consequences of injecting fluid deep into the subsurface, and an important tool in assessing the migration and risk of induced earthquakes in future oil and gas exploration." (MORE - details)

been waiting for this
looks REALLY bad.
no way can it be good for the water table or area.
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#8
Syne Offline
Another one duped by bad science. Rolleyes
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#9
C C Offline
(May 4, 2019 09:26 AM)RainbowUnicorn Wrote: been waiting for this
looks REALLY bad.
no way can it be good for the water table or area.


We should note and clarify that with respect to seismic activity, there's a distinction between the "high-pressure injection" of fluid used in fracking proper itself and similar reference to the ensuing elimination of flowback byproduct. The latter is what Oklahoma itself has acknowledged since 2015: That the correlation between wastewater disposal stemming from fracking, and the boggling increase in earthquake activity, was meaningful enough to act upon. (While it may be an ideologically conservative state often siding economically with industrial self-interests, Oklahoma also apparently has a pioneer tradition of setting robotic-thinking obstinacy aside and adjusting to practical reality when warranted.)

Oklahoma News 4 (2015): . . . In the meeting, the governor [Mary Fallin back then, a Trump supporter] acknowledged there is a direct correlation between increased seismic activity and disposal wells. Scientists [in the Oklahoma geological community] say it's not hydraulic fracking that's causing the earthquakes. They say it's wastewater disposal. Fracking creates millions of gallons of wastewater that get injected into deep underground wells. In some cases, the fluids can seep into faults and unleash quakes.

“We are trying to look at real scientific data. As much that has been proven as possible and there is always new info that will come to light, and that's what this council is about,” she said. Governor Fallin says the council is making an impact. “It shows we understand people are concerned about the increased number. We are paying attention. We are doing something about it by bringing experts together and looking at what we can do as far as the data goes,” she said. The governor says they have already taken several steps to address the disposal well problem. Back in March, 347 wells were ordered to reduce injection outputs. In July, 211 wells were ordered to do the same.


- - -

Governmental response: In April 2015, the OGS changed its position [after extended research/seismic events] and acknowledged that the earthquakes were "very unlikely the result of a natural process," and that the tremendous increase in the frequency of earthquake occurrence is likely due to the injection of produced water in disposal wells. The State of Oklahoma shortly after launched a website providing information about earthquakes in the state, including an interactive map where both earthquakes and disposal wells can be plotted.

Before that time, the oil industry had successfully pressured the OGS to release a statement saying "The interpretation that best fits current data is that the Prague earthquake sequence was the result of natural causes" which the OGS later recanted [2015].

In the immediate aftermath of the (5.8 magnitude) 2016 earthquake near Pawnee, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission issued an emergency order shutting down thirty-seven waste water disposal wells in the immediate vicinity of the epicenter. Governor Mary Fallin also declared a state of emergency for Pawnee County, where the worst of the damage from the quake was located. On September 16, less than two weeks after the earthquake, the Oklahoma Geological Survey announced that it had hired a new state seismologist, Jacob Walter. 

The Oklahoma Geological Survey has developed a "traffic light" system, which assigns "yellow light" status to some disposal wells, imposing limits on injection rates and pressures, and "red light" status to some injection wells, requiring them to shut down. Injection wells are regulated by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas in the state. The Corporation Commission has also required more than 50 disposal wells drilled down to the basement to be plugged back.

Following earthquake activity in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma near the Kansas–Oklahoma border in late-January 2015, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission ordered SandRidge Energy to shut down an injection well it was operating. This was the second wastewater injection well directed to "shut in" or halt operations by the agency since a new monitoring system was established in 2013. According to Matt Skinner, a spokesman from the commission, the directive was issued on February 3 in response to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake recorded in the area four days earlier. According to Skinner, "They were operating under a 'yellow light' permit with language that said shut in if there's any seismic activity."
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#10
RainbowUnicorn Offline
i wonder how many billions of liters of drinking water they have contaminated and wasted by doing this.
the vast mind boggling waste of drinking water and the contamination of clean water is past my ability to mentally compute.

the hydrollic destabilization of geological strength in entire regions was soo vast that i decided to just ignore the entire situation around 15 years ago.

i am guessing that the chickens are coming back to roost in the state where they have the flattest water table and the most amount of oil drilling.

now the elephant in the room is what happens after the earth quakes...
entire towns swallowed in massive sink holes ?

entire main highways swallowed in massive sink holes cutting off towns and citys ?

i am looking for a list of how many oil wells there are in Oklahoma


Natural Gas Producing Wells 46,927 wells
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