![]() The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates the oil and gas sector, has taken some steps to reduce earthquakes, including limiting permits for new wells in “areas of interest” and requiring certain disposal wells to temporarily shutter or reduce water intake if shaking occurs nearby.īut scientists in the state say those measures haven't been enough to drive a sharp decline in earthquakes. The government has resisted calls from environmental groups to place a temporary ban on new wastewater injections while agencies and companies study the phenomenon. Oklahoma officials say they are still struggling to devise a strategy to reduce seismic activity without strangling the energy industry, the state’s largest employer. Insurance claims are rising as foundations crack and bricks crumble, while geologists are warning of the unknown long-term effects of continuously rattling an entire state and pumping it full of wastewater. Nearly 700 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater have rocked Oklahoma this year, a more than 300-fold leap from the start of the drilling boom in 2008. Oklahoma surpassed California last year as the earthquake capital of the lower 48 states and will likely beat the Golden State in 2015. Such shaking has become routine in parts of Oklahoma, where oil and gas companies are injecting unprecedented volumes of wastewater into the ground and inducing earthquakes, scientists have confirmed. A separate tremor in north-central Oklahoma sent homes and buildings gently swaying on the opposite side of the state, as far south as Norman and Oklahoma City. crude stockpiles, sparking fears among residents of potential explosions. 10 just miles from the fields of white round tanks that hold the largest share of U.S. NORMAN, Oklahoma - The ground shook throughout Oklahoma in recent days, including near the crucial Cushing oil storage hub. The state is experiencing a surge in earthquakes linked to wastewater from oil and gas activities. 1.9 earthquake - 14 mi north of Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma, USA, on Wednesday, at 4:41 pm (GMT -5).A pump jack operates at a well site leased near Guthrie, Oklahoma. ![]() The strongest earthquake in Oklahoma in the past 48 hours occurred 2 hours and 6 minutes ago: Minor mag. What was the strongest quake in Oklahoma in the past 48 hours? In the past 48 hours, Oklahoma, USA had 6 quakes up to magnitude 1.9. How many quakes were there in Oklahoma in the past 48 hours? 1.9 earthquake - 14 mi north of Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma, USA, on Wednesday, at 4:41 pm (GMT -5). The last earthquake in Oklahoma occurred 2 hours and 6 minutes ago: Minor mag. ( Source: USGS) When was the latest earthquake in Oklahoma? In Oklahoma over 90% of the wastewater that is injected comes as a byproduct of oil extraction process and not waste frack fluid. According to USGS scientists, the vast majority of the recent quakes in Oklahoma were caused by the industrial practice known as "wastewater disposal".ĭuring wastewater disposal fluid waste from oil and gas production is pumped deep underground at depths far below ground water or drinking water aquifers. Although it does play a role, the process of fracking seems not to be the main culprit. Most of the earthquakes in Oklahoma are caused, directly or indirectly, by oil and gas exploration. USGS published a statistics showing that during 2014-17, Oklahoma surpassed California in the number of quake of magnitude 3 and higher. (image: USGS)īeginning in 2009, seismic activity in Oklahoma has been seeing a surge in seismicity. California earthquake counts are shown as a blue bar and Oklahoma earthquake counts are shown as a red bar. Bar graph showing the number of M3+ Earthquakes in Oklahoma vs California from 1990 to 2019.
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