Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

[santafe2]

Nope, sorry. It's not California. There have been 310 earthquakes in the US in the last 30 days. 183 of them have been in Oklahoma. And now Kansas is starting to get their fair share.



Follow this here:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...%3Afalse%7D%7D

Story from WaPo:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...3b2_story.html

[don]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

As Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Fingers Point to Oil and Gas Industry

By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and MICHAEL WINESAPRIL 3, 2015


PRAGUE, Okla. — Yanked without warning from a deep sleep, Jennifer Lin Cooper, whose family has lived near here for more than a half-century, could think only that the clamor enveloping her house was coming from a helicopter landing on her roof. She was wrong.

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake — the first of three as strong or stronger over several days in November 2011 — had peeled the brick facade from the $117,000 home she bought the year before. Ms. Cooper could not get out until her father pried a stuck storm door off the front entrance. Earthquake repairs have so far cost $12,000 and forced her to take a second job, at night, to pay the bill.


At a packed town hall meeting days later, Ms. Cooper, 36, said in an interview, state officials called the shocks, including a 5.7 tremor that was Oklahoma’s largest ever, “an act of nature, and it was nobody’s fault.”

Many scientists disagree. They say those quakes, and thousands of others before and since, are mainly the work of humans, caused by wells used to bury vast amounts of wastewater from oil and gas exploration deep in the earth near fault zones. And they warn that continuing to entomb such huge quantities risks more dangerous tremors — if not here, then elsewhere in the state’s sprawling well fields.

“As long as you keep injecting wastewater along that fault zone, according to my calculations, you’re going to continue to have earthquakes,” said Arthur F. McGarr, the chief of the induced seismicity project at the federal Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park, Calif., who has researched the Prague quakes. “I’d be a little worried if I lived there. In fact, I’d be very worried.”

But in a state where oil and gas are economic pillars, elected leaders have been slow to address the problem. And while regulators have taken some protective measures, they lack the money, work force and legal authority to fully address the threats.

More than five years after the quakes began a sharp and steady increase, the strongest action by the Republican governor, Mary Fallin, has been to name a council to exchange information about the tremors. The group meets in secret, and has no mandate to issue recommendations.

The State Legislature is considering no earthquake legislation. But both houses passed bills this year barring local officials from regulating oil and gas wells in their jurisdictions.

The state seismologist’s office, short-staffed, has stopped analyzing data on tremors smaller than magnitude 2.5 — even though a recent study says those quakes flag hidden seismic hazards “that might prove invaluable for avoiding a damaging earthquake.”

The governor referred an interview request to Michael Teague, her energy and environment secretary. Mr. Teague said that the governor’s earthquake council was helping coordinate the response to the shocks and that underfunded regulators and scientists had benefited from efforts to find new state and federal assistance for their work.

“It’s not working well enough if your house is shaking, absolutely no doubt,” he said. “But it’s working very well.”

But others say the political will is missing to confront an earthquake threat tied to Oklahoma’s dominant industry.

It is “a dangerous game of Russian roulette,” Jason Murphey, the Republican state representative from earthquake-ridden Guthrie in central Oklahoma, said in an interview. “If a dangerous earthquake happens and causes lots of damage and injuries,” he said, “a cloud will hang over the energy sector for a long time to come.”

If scientists see dangers, many Oklahomans are wary of disrupting an industry so woven into everyday life.

The state’s oil and gas wells gush profits to corporate owners, but also royalties to farmers and homeowners, and tax payments to the state and cities. By some accounts the industry supports as many as one in five Oklahoma jobs. It showers Oklahoma universities with millions of dollars in donations and helps make dreams like Oklahoma City’s National Basketball Association franchise reality.

It is also a major political contributor to Governor Fallin, legislators and all three elected members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which oversees oil and gas production and disposal wells.

The Corporation Commission lacks explicit authority to regulate earthquake risks. So it is trying to contain the risks posed by roughly 3,200 active wastewater disposal wells using laws written to control water pollution.

Last spring, the commission began trying to weed out quake risks by scrutinizing wells near larger quakes for operational problems and permit violations. A few dozen wells made modifications; four shut down. It is now difficult to win approval for new wells near stressed faults, active seismic areas or the epicenters of previous quakes above 4.0 magnitude.

Regulators significantly expanded the areas under scrutiny last month. Yet the quakes continue.

Many in the industry were reluctant to comment for this article.

But Kim Hatfield, the regulatory chairman of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and president of Crawley Petroleum, warned: “A reaction of panic is not useful.”

Shutting down disposal wells and the industry they serve, he added, “will make ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ look like a cheery movie.”

The mechanics of wastewater-induced earthquakes are straightforward: Soaked with enough fluid, a layer of rock expands and gets heavier. Earthquakes can occur when the pressure from the fluid reaches a fault, either through direct contact with the soaked rock or indirectly, from the expanding rock. Seismologists have documented such quakes in Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas and elsewhere since the 1960s.

But nowhere have they approached the number and scope of Oklahoma’s quakes, which have rocked fully a fifth of the state. One reason, scientists suspect, is that Oklahoma’s main waste-disposal site, a bed of porous limestone thousands of feet underground, lies close to the hard, highly stressed rock containing the faults that cause quakes.

The salty, sometimes toxic wastewater is a byproduct of extracting oil and gas, whether by hydraulic fracturing of once-unreachable shale deposits, commonly called fracking, or from conventional wells. Most is pumped out of the ground with oil or gas, then returned to the earth in a so-called disposal well, often to a different location.

some residents have begun to demand an accounting. Last August, Sandra Ladra, a Prague resident injured by a collapsing fireplace during the 2011 earthquakes, sued the Wilzetta well’s operator, New Dominion, and the Spess Oil Company, which operates the two smaller wells nearby.

Then, in February, came a class-action lawsuit against the two companies by Ms. Cooper, whose house was heavily damaged in Prague. Her suit seeks compensation for quake damage not only to her home, but to any homers in nine counties surrounding Prague.

That case has yet to be heard. But Ms. Ladra’s lawsuit, now before the State Supreme Court, previews the industry’s response: The wells operate legally, and regulators should hear complaints against them. Letting juries decide their culpability in earthquakes invites financial disaster.

“I don’t want to belittle the public’s concern about earthquake swarms. I live here, too,” Robert G. Gum, a lawyer for New Dominion, said at an October hearing. “But it’s no more important to the people sitting in this courtroom and the people in this state than the state’s economy. It’s no more important in recognizing how important the oil and gas industry is to that economy.”

If juries hold the companies liable for Prague’s earthquakes, he added, “I doubt if this is the last lawsuit that will get filed. These wells will become economic and legal liability pariahs. They will be shut down.”

To Ms. Cooper, that message is clear. “People need to just take their losses for the greater good of the oil and gas companies — you know, do your part,” she said.

She does not buy it.

“If the truth destroys something,” she said, “then it needs to be destroyed.”

[santafe2]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

If juries hold the companies liable for Prague’s earthquakes, he added, “I doubt if this is the last lawsuit that will get filed. These wells will become economic and legal liability pariahs. They will be shut down.”

To Ms. Cooper, that message is clear. “People need to just take their losses for the greater good of the oil and gas companies — you know, do your part,” she said.

“If the truth destroys something,” she said, “then it needs to be destroyed.”

Privatizing profits and socializing losses is bad enough but in Oklahoma they plan to keep the losses privatized for as long as possible.

In the last 24 hours there were 15 earthquakes in the lower 48 US states. 10 were in Oklahoma, 3 were in Kansas on the Oklahoma border.

But New Dominion is a regular community booster in Prague OK:

New Dominion Dayz, a yearly event to support the Prague community, will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 4, New Dominion, LLC officials say.
The event, on Prague Middle School’s grounds, will offer free entertainment, food and drink to raise scholarship money for graduating Prague High School seniors who plan to continue their educations.

As during previous years, “chance to win” tickets are being sold for prizes that will be given away at the event. Tickets can be purchased at area banks and at New Dominion’s Centerview office in Prague. They also will be sold at the event before prize drawings are held.

New Dominion will match “dollar for dollar” what the ticket sales raise.

New Dominion Dayz features complimentary food, music, face painting, Safari Joe’s exotic animals and pony rides, and carnival games and rides by Allison’s Fun, Inc. Attendees are reminded to bring their own outdoor chairs and sun protection, as there is limited seating and no shaded seating area.

http://www.newdominion.net/community/index.php#

[jk]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

the class action lawsuits have been filed
As Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Fingers Point to Oil and Gas Industry

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/as-quakes-rattle-oklahoma-fingers-point-to-oil-and-gas-industry.html

[santafe2]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

the class action lawsuits have been filed
As Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Fingers Point to Oil and Gas Industry

Let's see...358 earthquakes above 2.5 magnitude in the decade before 2010 and over 12,000 since then, (including the 1st quarter of 2015)...statistically insignificant...it must be a vast renewable energy conspiracy... As if the middle of Tornado Alley wasn't enough for these poor folks. Now all they need is famine and a modern Dust Bowl.

[lektrode]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

wondren if this is the opening salvo of where/how the entire 'revolution' of frak'g gets subverted by insurgents (read: the latest tort bar feeding frenzy)

which then takes out the whole oil complex (by the lwr manhattan mob)

kinda like what looks to be happening in the mining sector (at least in the shiny - PM - stuff, with coal already having been blacklisted not that thats a bad thing... ;)

[don]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

wondren if this is the opening salvo of where/how the entire 'revolution' of frak'g gets subverted by insurgents (read: the latest tort bar feeding frenzy)

which then takes out the whole oil complex (by the lwr manhattan mob)

kinda like what looks to be happening in the mining sector (at least in the shiny - PM - stuff, with coal already having been blacklisted not that thats a bad thing... ;)

I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that by your comments you feel fracting and earthquakes are lawyer induced phenomenon.

Personally, I kinda like this one:

Let's see...358 earthquakes above 2.5 magnitude in the decade before 2010 and over 12,000 since then, (including the 1st quarter of 2015)...statistically insignificant...it must be a vast renewable energy conspiracy... As if the middle of Tornado Alley wasn't enough for these poor folks. Now all they need is famine and a modern Dust Bowl.

At least the energy companies take the gloves off. Want the jobs and the largess or not.

[lektrode]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that by your comments you feel fracting and earthquakes are lawyer induced phenomenon.

oh the sarcasm, mr don...

more like.. just another new source of diversion - both economic and political - for the ambulance chasers
and their enablers in the lamerstream media...

Personally, I kinda like this one:

wouldnt seem to require rocket science to figger all this out, eh?

At least the energy companies take the gloves off. Want the jobs and the largess or not.

well.. at least one industrial sector is - or had been - despite, or perhaps IN spite of the central planners 'best efforts' - some actually were accomplishing something in that dept -
vs the hopium crowd?

What could possibly go wrong?
Here Comes Solyndra 2.0: Obama To Hire 75,000 Solar Workers



Clearly having not learned their lesson from 'interfering' in free markets (and all the deflation-creating over-supplying, crony-capitalizing, taxpayer money-wasting malinvestment that goes with it), NBC News reports, The White House has announced a goal to train 75,000 workers in the solar industry by 2020, many of them veterans. In a sentence only President Obama could utter, he explains "these are good-paying jobs that are helping folks enter the middle-class." Climate 'fixed', folks 'fixed', veterans 'fixed' middle-class-economics 'fixed'... and we are sure it will be unequivocally good for America (until trade wars pick up once again).

[santafe2]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

Oklahoma set another record in 2015 and on Saturday they had a 5.1 magnitude quake along with another 167 at 2.5 or better in the last 30 days. It's almost time for the lawyers to start making money.

[lakedaemonian]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

Let's see...358 earthquakes above 2.5 magnitude in the decade before 2010 and over 12,000 since then, (including the 1st quarter of 2015)...statistically insignificant...it must be a vast renewable energy conspiracy... As if the middle of Tornado Alley wasn't enough for these poor folks. Now all they need is famine and a modern Dust Bowl.

For reference,

Here in my part of NZ, along the pacific ring of fire, we've had 14,000 earthquakes, aftershocks, etc since 2010 as well. Including a couple of really big ones.

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

It had been quiet for the past year until Valentine's Day where we had a 5.7 literally just off the beach behind our house, and dozens more since. Including 2 directly under our house(within 250m), first time for that.

Anywho, we had very little activity as well in the 5-10 years prior to 2010 as well.

We've had western people here for a nearly identical timeframe with little local activity.

No fracking here.

Correlation may not be causation and all that.

[GRG55]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

For reference,

Here in my part of NZ, along the pacific ring of fire, we've had 14,000 earthquakes, aftershocks, etc since 2010 as well. Including a couple of really big ones.

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

It had been quiet for the past year until Valentine's Day where we had a 5.7 literally just off the beach behind our house, and dozens more since. Including 2 directly under our house(within 250m), first time for that.

Anywho, we had very little activity as well in the 5-10 years prior to 2010 as well.

We've had western people here for a nearly identical timeframe with little local activity.

No fracking here.

Correlation may not be causation and all that.

Let's just blame it all on Goldman Sachs.

Or The Fed.

[jk]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

For reference,

Here in my part of NZ, along the pacific ring of fire, we've had 14,000 earthquakes, aftershocks, etc since 2010 as well. Including a couple of really big ones.

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

It had been quiet for the past year until Valentine's Day where we had a 5.7 literally just off the beach behind our house, and dozens more since. Including 2 directly under our house(within 250m), first time for that.

Anywho, we had very little activity as well in the 5-10 years prior to 2010 as well.

We've had western people here for a nearly identical timeframe with little local activity.

No fracking here.

Correlation may not be causation and all that.

last i knew, oklahoma wasn't on the ring of fire. or did i miss that volcano eruption in kansas?

[santafe2]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

For reference,

Here in my part of NZ, along the pacific ring of fire, we've had 14,000 earthquakes, aftershocks, etc since 2010 as well. Including a couple of really big ones.

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

It had been quiet for the past year until Valentine's Day where we had a 5.7 literally just off the beach behind our house, and dozens more since. Including 2 directly under our house(within 250m), first time for that.

Anywho, we had very little activity as well in the 5-10 years prior to 2010 as well.

We've had western people here for a nearly identical timeframe with little local activity.

No fracking here.

Correlation may not be causation and all that.

New Zealand has a fairly unique distinction in that it is an island country where the Ring of Fire passes directly under the South Island. Earthquakes over magnitude 5 are quite common and as you know from the 2011 Christchurch quake, they can be deadly. Most of the earthquakes in Oklahoma are about half that magnitude but as you know, 3.0 aftershocks get on your nerves after a while and if there hasn't been a big quake, you're really wondering if it's a foreshock.

To give you some idea of the magnitude of change in earthquake activity in Oklahoma, let's take a closer look at earthquakes of 2.5 magnitude or higher in Fairview, the little town of 2,600 people that just experienced the 5.1 on Saturday.

There were 11 earthquakes from 1987 through 2013 or 1 every ~2.5 years.
There were 13 earthquakes in 2014
There were 85 earthquakes in 2015
There were 92 earthquakes in the first 58 days of 2016
There were 13 earthquakes on January 7th alone

They've gone from one earthquake every 900 days to one every 15 hours. That, is one hell of a correlation!

[GRG55]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

New Zealand has a fairly unique distinction in that it is an island country where the Ring of Fire passes directly under the South Island. Earthquakes over magnitude 5 are quite common and as you know from the 2011 Christchurch quake, they can be deadly. Most of the earthquakes in Oklahoma are about half that magnitude but as you know, 3.0 aftershocks get on your nerves after a while and if there hasn't been a big quake, you're really wondering if it's a foreshock.

To give you some idea of the magnitude of change in earthquake activity in Oklahoma, let's take a closer look at earthquakes of 2.5 magnitude or higher in Fairview, the little town of 2,600 people that just experienced the 5.1 on Saturday.

There were 11 earthquakes from 1987 through 2013 or 1 every ~2.5 years.
There were 13 earthquakes in 2014
There were 85 earthquakes in 2015
There were 92 earthquakes in the first 58 days of 2016
There were 13 earthquakes on January 7th alone

They've gone from one earthquake every 900 days to one every 15 hours. That, is one hell of a correlation!

I didn't map to individual counties such as where Fairview may be located, but land rigs drilling in OK are down 107, or 56%, from the 191 that were operating there in early 2015. There will be a high correlation between wells drilled and fracs completed over time, so if rig counts are declining so should frac spread counts. In fact it has become commonplace at this time of low prices for the industry to drill to hold lease obligations and leave the wells uncompleted (e.g. not fraced) until later.

Interesting that earthquakes are increasing when oil and gas activity has been declining for more than a year now. Some sort of hysteresis effect in the rock mechanics perhaps? Or a change in the quality and sensitivity of the equipment doing the measuring? Or some other factors we don't know?

Brings a new meaning to the good citizens of Fairview when it comes to shake, rattle and roll.

[santafe2]

Re: Welcome to the Earthquake Capital of the US

I didn't map to individual counties such as where Fairview may be located, but land rigs drilling in OK are down 107, or 56%, from the 191 that were operating there in early 2015. There will be a high correlation between wells drilled and fracs completed over time, so if rig counts are declining so should frac spread counts. In fact it has become commonplace at this time of low prices for the industry to drill to hold lease obligations and leave the wells uncompleted (e.g. not fraced) until later.

Interesting that earthquakes are increasing when oil and gas activity has been declining for more than a year now. Some sort of hysteresis effect in the rock mechanics perhaps? Or a change in the quality and sensitivity of the equipment doing the measuring? Or some other factors we don't know?

Brings a new meaning to the good citizens of Fairview when it comes to shake, rattle and roll.

Possibly the tectonic wheels just needed a little grease......and the good citizens of Oklahoma will find that fracking is the gift that keeps on giving. Only time will tell.