Tech | November 03, 2011 | 22 comments

Fracking Linked To Earthquakes In The U.S.

source: http://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-linked-earthquakes-u-s

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coolplanet
On the heels of yesterday’s report detailing Cuadrilla Resource’s admission that their fracking practices were responsible for small earthquakes in the U.K., new reports are surfacing that link fracking to earthquakes that occurred in January in Oklahoma.

According to a new study by the Oklahoma Geological Survey [PDF], fracking is linked to 50 mini-earthquakes that occurred on January 18, 2011 in Oklahoma.

The NRDC describes the events as follows:

“The occurrence of so-called “induced seismicity” – seismic activity caused by human actions – in conjunction with fluid injection or extraction operations is a well-documented phenomenon. However, induced earthquakes large enough to be felt at the surface have typically been associated with large scale injection or withdrawal of fluids, such as water injection wells, geothermal energy production, and oil and gas production. It was generally thought that the risk of inducing large earthquakes through hydraulic fracturing was very low, because of the comparatively small volumes of fluid injected and relatively short time-frame over which it occurs. As the controversy over hydraulic fracturing has heated up, however, researchers and the public have become increasingly interested in the potential for fracking to cause large earthquakes.”

But this is hardly a new phenomenon. Studies show that fracking practices in the 1970s had caused similar seismic activity in Oklahoma, according to E&E News.

To date, none of the quakes have caused any deaths or any significant damages, but Grist echoed a great point from Joe Romm: “Would we tolerate this sort of impact from any other sort of industry? Would we tolerate it from a renewable energy industry? The answer there is no.”

As the pressure heats up over fracking, these seismic events will certainly become a cause for concern, and possibly even litigation, for citizens who are already unhappy with fracking activities occurring in their backyards.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Tech,   Green,   Upstream,   3 more
  2. tags:
    Earthquake,  fracking,  ecocollapse
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22 comments // Fracking Linked To Earthquakes In The U.S.

  • Papa
  • EmperorThan
  • Papa
  • EmperorThan
  • Incredulous
    • +1
      Incredulous  

    • I think most of us who know anything at all about fracking have suspected this for a long time, but getting anyone in power to actually admit it is a different story...

    • 7 months ago
  • wynnmeg61
    • +2
      wynnmeg61  

    • In my humble opinion we should stick to the hard science we have as to the effect of fracking on the water tables. We have hard proof that Natural Gas and fracking fluids are getting into our aquifers at an alarming rate.

      This is an interesting article but is not something that can be used to effect legislation. It is just to slippery and tentative to be used effectively.

    • 7 months ago
  • Incredulous
  • Nick19
    • +1
      Nick19  

    • http://enews.net

      Well I read the conclusion of the PDF file from the enews.net page and it concludes that the connection between hydraulic-fracturing and the earthquakes is actually difficult to conclude due to the historical history of past earthquakes in the region (existing fault lines). Here is the quote:

      "The number of historical earthquakes in the area and uncertainties in hypocenter locations make it impossible to determine with a high degree of certainty wheather or not hydraulic-fracturing induces these earthquakes."

    • 7 months ago
  • Incredulous
  • Wyley_Wombat
    • +4
      Wyley_Wombat  

    • First, unless the laws of physics have changed, you can't compress a liquid. Thus, when you force a liquid into the ground under pressure, you vastly multiply that force which is applied to the deep rock structure. It is not surprising that earth tremors result. Second, the "fluid" is not simply water but rather water with a mix of petrochemicals. At the pressures involved, it is also not surprising that some of these chemicals permeate the rock and eventually find their into the water table. These two reasons alone would be grounds enough to step back and assess what damage is being done to the planet. But then, you have to believe in all science, not just the science you need to drill the damn well.

    • 7 months ago
  • Introspective
    • +1
      Introspective  

    • the article iz rite on...that's the 1st thing i thot of when we had that quake here on the east coast this yr...az frackin increased considerably in the past 2 yrs here in the east :(

    • 7 months ago
  • alexandrek
  • Introspective
    • 0
      Introspective  
    • alexandrek:

      hmmm i'm not sure u'd wanna use france az a shinny example (75% of their power cumz from 58 nuke plants)...i'd take an earthquake ova another Chernobyl anytime...u can't rebuild after 1 of them mf'ers go off :(

    • 7 months ago
  • alexandrek
  • Introspective
  • Papa
  • coolplanet
  • chew_chew
    • +2
      chew_chew  

    • No wonder they spend so much money on TV commercials (unsuccessfully) trying to sell us on how "safe" fracking is.

      What will it take for them to realize, if they destroy the earth, they go down, too? And there won't be enough profit for them to *buy* their way out of that.

    • 7 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • coolplanet
  • JanforGore
    • +5
      JanforGore  
    • Image

    • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8864938/Protesters-vow-to-stop-fracki...

      It's even being admitted by energy companies, so it isn't as if they didn't know.

      "Cuadrilla Resources, that is the main company exploring for shale gas in the UK, admitted that the tremors which hit Lancashire's Fylde coast in April and May were caused by fracking

      Fracking – shorthand for hydraulic fracturing – involves the blasting of water, chemicals and sand at high velocity into a shaft to crack rock and release gas.

      The operation in May was the only attempt to so far to frack in the UK but energy companies are currently exploring dozens of other sites around the country including in the South East, Scotland and Wales, in the so-called “dash for shale gas”.

      Cuadrilla Resources insist the tremors were not dangerous and the process is safe.

      But horror stories have emerged from the US, where fracking is common, including reports of tap water igniting when a match is lit and claims of contaminated water making people ill.

      Environment groups, including the WWF and Friends of the Earth, are calling for a moratorium on the process until there is more evidence it is safe.

      Protesters are threatening to disrupt any attempts to drill and target the energy companies involved.

      The protest group Frack Off have already brought a drilling operation to a standstill in Lancashire and stormed a meeting of investors.

      James Barnes, 28, one of the protesters, said the current evidence suggest fracking for gas could cause more carbon emissions than coal.

      There is also a risk of polluting the water supply and causing earthquakes.

      He called on energy companies and the Government to focus instead on investing in green alternatives."

    • 7 months ago
  • coolplanet
    • +6
      coolplanet  

    • In one century we extract trillions of gallons of oil from the Earth which took millions of years to form, melt the ice in the Arctic and glaciers, shift that enormous amount of weight into the oceans, and what do we expect?

    • 7 months ago
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