Advertisement USGS: Largest Okla. quakes could be due to wastewater injection New paper on induced seismicity relating to Nov. 2011 Prague quakes released Share Shares Copy Link Copy

New research suggests the largest earthquakes on record in Oklahoma were likely triggered by oil and gas activity.A paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research this week authored by researchers with the United States Geological Survey suggests the correlation."I'm just someone in the USGS who goes out following any earthquake. I guess you could call me an earthquake chaser," USGS seismologist Elizabeth Cochran said.Cochran was in Prague after the November 2011 quakes and has been studying the 5.0 foreshock, the 5.7 mainshock in the area, and their relation since."This event could have been due to wastewater injection,” said Cochran.Cochran has co-authored a paper explaining why."We noted the correlation between where the seismicity was occurring in the sequence and where a number of injection wells were located ... We delineate the plane that broke and that plane happened to come within a couple hundred meters of two injection wells," Cochran said."We've been working very proactively with the Oklahoma Geological Survey. We started before the Prague earthquake," Oklahoma Corporation Commission representative Matt Skinner said.The Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulates wastewater injection wells in the state and also monitors seismic activity."We are not waiting for proof. The issue is whether or not we have data we need to show this is the action that can be taken,” Skinner said, regarding certain injection sites believed to be directly tied to quakes.The commission immediately gave the red light to an injection well near the epicenter after the Prague quakes."We've adopted what we call a red light-green light system,” Skinner said.Recently, the yellow light was given to an injection well in Love County after a series of quakes there."They did find a correlation between the injection well activity ... and an earthquake swarm,” said Skinner.The operator was directed to slow activity but instead decided to shutter the well altogether.The Corporation Commission will not permit any wastewater injection wells near areas prone to quakes, including areas with an earthquake history or near a fault line, and are considering new, stricter regulations."Basically, what they call for is increased monitoring, increased data gathering and increased testing of those injection wells,” said Skinner.The Corporation Commission will vote on the proposed new rules next week. If approved by commissioners, the new rules will go to state Legislature and governor for approval.10954716