OK: Fracking, Earthquakes, and Clusters

[wizardwatson]

http://m.news9.com/story.aspx?story=...0&catId=112032

The thing no one talks about is the North American Craton.

Just go to the USGS site here:

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

Look at the map. Why are all the current quakes on major tectonic fault lines except the ones in the US which don't appear to be anywhere near the major lines?

It's because the fracking, or maybe the fracking plus the last few years pole shifting has activated dormant fault lines along the north american unsubducted craton plate. You know, that thing that created the appalachians and the rockies? It's waking up, and it's what is pressed up against Yellowstone. You know that supervolcano that's due to go off? Also keep in mind that there are 6 known supervolcanos in the world AND THREE OF THEM ARE IN THE 48 states.

Compare Craton images to line of earthquakes in US: https://www.google.com/search?q=nort...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

So why isn't anyone talking about the North American Craton except a few independent researchers? Oh, I know because there are THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of fracking wells poking holes all along the craton. Because the craton pressure is the whole reason the shale exists in the first place.

You know what erodes rights more than gay marriage, abortion, the federal reserve, and deficits?

Lava.

Lava does.

[wizardwatson]

Don't believe me? Look at the shale gas play images here:

https://www.google.com/search?q=shal...w=1366&bih=643

Notice something combined with the North American Craton images?

https://www.google.com/search?q=nort...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

What is coal/oil/shale/diamonds? You learned in grade school. It's pressure. A lot of pressure. And the shale in that area was created by pressure from the Craton, which we are loosening. And all those earthquakes are predominantly along that smiley face of the craton.

Particularly apparently in Oklahoma where the pressure from the Craton appears to be focused.

[invisible]

The thing no one talks about is the North American Craton.

Just go to the USGS site here:

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

Look at the map. Why are all the current quakes on major tectonic fault lines except the ones in the US which don't appear to be anywhere near the major lines?

It's because the fracking, or maybe the fracking plus the last few years pole shifting has activated dormant fault lines along the north american unsubducted craton plate. You know, that thing that created the appalachians and the rockies? It's waking up, and it's what is pressed up against Yellowstone. You know that supervolcano that's due to go off? Also keep in mind that there are 6 known supervolcanos in the world AND THREE OF THEM ARE IN THE 48 states.

Compare Craton images to line of earthquakes in US: https://www.google.com/search?q=nort...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

So why isn't anyone talking about the North American Craton except a few independent researchers? Oh, I know because there are THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of fracking wells poking holes all along the craton. Because the craton pressure is the whole reason the shale exists in the first place.

You know what erodes rights more than gay marriage, abortion, the federal reserve, and deficits?

Lava.

Lava does.

What makes you so certain that fracking induced earthquakes would trigger a volcanic eruption? I've never heard anyone say that before.

But yes, many prime oil drilling sites are located on fault lines. Apparently oil and gas gets trapped in the fault, so that makes it a good spot as far there being lots of oil and gas to drill for. But it's a very stupid spot for fracking activity. The big earthquake near Youngstown OH was caused by fracking activity more or less on top of a previously unknown fault. At least one disposal injection well here in OK was shut down because it was located on a fault line (again, very stupid), and it was suspected that activity at this particular site was causing many of the earthquakes just East and North of Oklahoma City.

The court case that I just posted about will be an interesting one to follow. To my knowledge, it's the first lawsuit against the industry based around damage from earthquakes, whereas other lawsuits in the past have been related to wells and people being poisoned. If you do some research (I'm not going to look it up again for anyone, learn to use a search engine for yourself and do not use you being too lazy to do so as the basis for some sort of argument), there have been several scientific authorities that have published conclusions that the 2011 Prague earthquake was the result of oil and gas activity. Even the state's own material pubished on this event outright admits a direct cause and effect relationship, but stops just short of saying that the oil and gas activity caused the earthquake. The state government is being made to look like fools, as they continue to deny what is becoming a scientific consenus that supports to this lawsuit. If this woman is successful in court, it will have lots of implications for the state government's whitewash, the insurance industry, and the oil and gas industry.

[wizardwatson]

What makes you so certain that fracking induced earthquakes would trigger a volcanic eruption? I've never heard anyone say that before.

But yes, many prime oil drilling sites are located on fault lines. Apparently oil and gas gets trapped in the fault, so that makes it a good spot as far there being lots of oil and gas to drill for. But it's a very stupid spot for fracking activity. The big earthquake near Youngstown OH was caused by fracking activity more or less on top of a previously unknown fault. At least one disposal injection well here in OK was shut down because it was located on a fault line (again, very stupid), and it was suspected that activity at this particular site was causing many of the earthquakes just East and North of Oklahoma City.

The court case that I just posted about will be an interesting one to follow. To my knowledge, it's the first lawsuit against the industry based around damage from earthquakes, whereas other lawsuits in the past have been related to wells and people being poisoned. If you do some research (I'm not going to look it up again for anyone, learn to use a search engine for yourself and do not use you being too lazy to do so as the basis for some sort of argument), there have been several scientific authorities that have published conclusions that the 2011 Prague earthquake was the result of oil and gas activity. Even the state's own material pubished on this event outright admits a direct cause and effect relationship, but stops just short of saying that the oil and gas activity caused the earthquake. The state government is being made to look like fools, as they continue to deny what is becoming a scientific consenus that supports to this lawsuit. If this woman is successful in court, it will have lots of implications for the state government's whitewash, the insurance industry, and the oil and gas industry.

Just SWAG'ing that if the North American Craton had a signficant movement it could disturb the yellowstone magma chamber.

It's one thing to say, "Oh, we don't know if or when yellowstone could erupt." It's another thing to poke thousands of holes all along the giant unsubducted plate that's pressed right up against it like it's no big deal.

[invisible]

http://www.okcfox.com/story/29576544...hquake-actions

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is adding new oil and natural gas wastewater disposal wells to the list of wells that can potentially trigger earthquakes.

The agency issued a directive in March involving more than 300 disposal wells that inject into an Oklahoma geologic formation. The region includes 21 counties that have experienced high earthquake activity. The latest directive expands the areas covered and applies to 211 more disposal wells.

Operators have until Aug. 14 to prove they are not injecting below the formation. Seismologists believe disposal below the formation poses a potential risk of causing earthquakes, as it puts the well in communication with the "basement" rock.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey says it's likely some earthquakes in the state are being triggered by the injection of wastewater into the wells.

The state's whitewash agency again admits the connection without actually admitting it. Interesting that the article doesn't mention the formation in question. I wonder how much more shallow the injection disposal is now required to be, and how much closer it will be to the lowest levels of groundwater and underground aquifiers?

[invisible]

Significant earthquake activity has been occuring since Monday. I was told that one media report had noted that there was a large amount of fracking activity in the area. This is rarely mentioned in local media reports, so I attempted to find the story, but it had apparently been revised or scrubbed. Anyways, here's a few of the reports, plus a couple other interesting tidbits.

http://www.news9.com/story/29590071/...st-of-oklahoma

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake was reported Monday afternoon in Alfalfa County, the U.S. Geological Survey reported

A 3.2-magnitude earthquake was reported less than an hour later in Pawnee County

Shortly before 3:55 p.m., a 3.7-magnitude earthquake shook nearby the earlier earthquake in Alfalfa County, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The earthquake's magnitude was originally reported as a 4.0, but was later downgraded.

At 9:10 p.m., a 3.1-magnitude earthquake was reported in Alfalfa County

All four earthquakes were about 3 miles deep

http://www.tulsaworld.com/earthquake...87922805a.html

ENID — Several earthquakes have been recorded in northern Oklahoma following quakes registered as magnitude 4.4 and 3.7.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded five earthquakes in the Enid area ranging from magnitude 3.0 to 3.5 between shortly after midnight until about 6:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The quakes come after 4.4 and 3.7 magnitude quakes were recorded in the Cherokee, Oklahoma area Monday afternoon. The second quake was originally reported as a 4.0 magnitude quake by the USGS.

http://www.news9.com/story/29598913/...wn-of-cherokee

It is the second earthquake recorded in the area on Tuesday (the previous was a 4.3 recorded at 6:16 a.m.) and the fourth significant earthquake in the area since Monday.

A 3.0-magnitude quake was reported at 8:19 p.m., about eight miles east, northeast of Cherokee and 100 miles north, northwest of Oklahoma City. It was about three miles deep.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/20...rumbles-state/

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake centered in northern Oklahoma has shaken the state, with reports of it being felt hundreds of miles away.

According to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, a 4.4 earthquake would be among the top 10 strongest earthquakes recorded in the state.

And while sifting through the reports on the latest earthquakes, I came across a couple other recent interesting bits:

The state Geological Survey is funded by oil and gas industry donations. So along with the Corporation Commission, it serves as one of the state's agencies charged with whitewashing this earthquakes and fracking business. Over the years, many stories have implied that one of their top people has been trying to do his job honestly in spite of political pressure to continue the whitewash. Looks like he's finally had enough.

http://newsok.com/oklahomas-top-seis...rticle/5432016

The Oklahoma state seismologist has confirmed plans to leave the job for a position with the United States Geological Survey in New Mexico.

Austin Holland said he accepted a tentative offer with the USGS as a supervisory geophysicist at the Albuquerque Seismic Lab. Holland said the main reason for the move was to change his family dynamics.

Since Holland came to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, the state has seen a rapid increase in earthquakes, some of which have been linked to disposal wells used for produced water from oil and gas activity.

The survey, which is housed in the University of Oklahoma's Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, also has come under pressure from some in the oil and gas industry — most notably Continental Resources Inc. founder and CEO Harold Hamm — for its research into the causes of man-made earthquakes.

Holland said he's working with OU and the office of the Oklahoma secretary of energy and environment to offer his recommendations on how the state can advance its efforts on induced seismicity and search for his successor.

And this is almost certain to be challenged in the courts:
http://newsok.com/council-in-stillwa...rticle/5435037

The Stillwater City Council on Monday unanimously approved a new ordinance for oil and gas drilling, establishing noise limits and requiring setbacks from homes, schools and hospitals. The council then voted 4-1 to approve a resolution that asks Payne County to pass a similar ordinance.

"They did make very minor changes to it, but the ordinance itself is still significantly unreasonable," said A.J. Ferate, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. "In spirit, it does not allow for oil and gas drilling in city limits. It's essentially a ban."

The action follows after the Legislature passed Senate Bill 809, which reaffirmed the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as the state's top oil and gas regulator and stopped cities from enacting bans on oil and gas activity. The legislation allowed local governments to pass "reasonable" restrictions on oil and gas activity within their boundaries for setbacks, noise, traffic issues and fencing.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

How long until insurance companies write off hurricanes as man-made because of global warming?
Do those policies not also cover criminal damages?

[invisible]

And another, this time much closer to OKC. Felt this one pretty strongly, and the dog started going ape$#@! exactly 25 minutes before it happened. Yup, it's looking like even the msm is starting to make the connection, and the admission that isn't. IMO, nothing is going to happen with the issue until major damage and injury occurs in a moneyed area like Bethany or Edmond.

http://www.okcfox.com/story/29641854...ntral-oklahoma

The biggest earthquake in the state this year shook up Oklahoma this afternoon, centered around the small town.

The first 4.5 magnitude quake hit at 1:12pm, then a second 4.1 hit at 8:18pm.

State seismologists say we've seen a huge increase in activity in central Oklahoma, especially in Logan County. Experts say their studies have shown a possible link to the oil industry's waste water injection wells.

"We are almost 7 months through the year and we've almost tied the number of earthquakes we had in 2014. And of course 2014 was an absolute record breaking year for the number of earthquakes in Oklahoma," said State Seismologist Austin Holland.

State seismologists say they're continuing to study conditions here in Logan county to figure out how to prevent so many earthquakes

[wizardwatson]

And another, this time much closer to OKC. Felt this one pretty strongly, and the dog started going ape$#@! exactly 25 minutes before it happened. Yup, it's looking like even the msm is starting to make the connection, and the admission that isn't. IMO, nothing is going to happen with the issue until major damage and injury occurs in a moneyed area like Bethany or Edmond.

http://www.okcfox.com/story/29641854...ntral-oklahoma

Oh, wow, 4.5 is pretty rare there. I check USGS, probably every few days average or so. Oklahoma has to be more than just fracking. My SWAG after researching and hearing others' theories is that this must be the point where the North American Craton Plate (or Laurentia Plate) has the most pressure. Because you guys are literally averaging like 3, 2.5+ quakes a day. There's fracking in plenty of other places including Texas but for some reason right in that central northern area of OK you just keep getting them.

My guess is that this is the dirty little secret that the government doesn't want to tell on account of lobbyists. That our fracking activity is activating fault lines along the Craton. Because if Americans knew what that meant they would immediately call for a halt.

Anyway, I still have basically same opinion as from post #31.

[Brett85]

Because if Americans knew what that meant they would immediately call for a halt.

Then they would immediately change their minds after gas went up to $6 a gallon.

[wizardwatson]

Then they would immediately change their minds after gas went up to $6 a gallon.

Fracking is for natural gas not oil.

But you provide a good example of how well the "energy independence from the Middle East" propaganda that Obama used to allow all this fracking in the states has worked even on the "enlightened" people of this movement.

[Brett85]

I guess I need to do more research about this particular subject, but it just seems strange to hear "libertarians" advocate big government solutions to problems. It's like if we decided to ban all cars because vehicle accidents started to become more common on the roadways.

[invisible]

Fracking is for natural gas not oil.

But you provide a good example of how well the "energy independence from the Middle East" propaganda that Obama used to allow all this fracking in the states has worked even on the "enlightened" people of this movement.

Fracking is for both oil and natural gas. Yes, that's exactly how it's being sold to the public, as "energy independence from the Middle East" and high gas prices scare tactics. Only problem with that is, with prices at record lows, it's being sold to china instead where prices and thus profits are higher.

[invisible]

I guess I need to do more research about this particular subject, but it just seems strange to hear "libertarians" advocate big government solutions to problems. It's like if we decided to ban all cars because vehicle accidents started to become more common on the roadways.

Having moved right into the middle of fracking central, I've done a LOT of research on the subject. By all means, do the same research. No one here is advocating any sort of big government solution to anything. Again, my question to you is that given that the "correct" solution of seeking remedy through the courts no longer works because the deck has been stacked against the little guy, how do we the people correct the problem?

[invisible]

Oh, wow, 4.5 is pretty rare there. I check USGS, probably every few days average or so. Oklahoma has to be more than just fracking. My SWAG after researching and hearing others' theories is that this must be the point where the North American Craton Plate (or Laurentia Plate) has the most pressure. Because you guys are literally averaging like 3, 2.5+ quakes a day. There's fracking in plenty of other places including Texas but for some reason right in that central northern area of OK you just keep getting them.

My guess is that this is the dirty little secret that the government doesn't want to tell on account of lobbyists. That our fracking activity is activating fault lines along the Craton. Because if Americans knew what that meant they would immediately call for a halt.

Anyway, I still have basically same opinion as from post #31.

The geology in OK is apparently ideal for fracking in all respects except for the earthquakes. I only know of one case of someone's well being poisoned by fracking activity nearby, but that is common in other states. Here, the water table is shallow compared to where the shale is, with lots of solid rock in between. The same earthquakes have happened elsewhere (including TX), in areas that have had very few before all the fracking started. OK had very few significant earthquakes before 2008, and now we have more of them than anywhere else in the country. In OH and AR, earthquakes suddenly started happening in areas that did not have them before, so those states issued a moratorium on injection disposal in those areas, and guess what? The earthquakes stopped just as suddenly as they started. Go ahead and do some research and look it up, all this info is readily available.

[Okie RP fan]

The two large ones yesterday were both over 4.1, I believe. And they became annoying rather quickly.
Stuff on my walls started shaking pretty good, and on the first one you could hear a loud roar, or boom outside.

And I wouldn't necessarily say that we here in particular are advocating a big government solution. The problem is that individuals' property is being damaged, with many suggestions as to why this is happening, but we're told to turn our heads the other way.

Usually the courts (in an ideal system) would take care of this, but, alas… the courts are essentially useless anymore.

[invisible]

The two large ones yesterday were both over 4.1, I believe. And they became annoying rather quickly.
Stuff on my walls started shaking pretty good, and on the first one you could hear a loud roar, or boom outside.

And I wouldn't necessarily say that we here in particular are advocating a big government solution. The problem is that individuals' property is being damaged, with many suggestions as to why this is happening, but we're told to turn our heads the other way.

Usually the courts (in an ideal system) would take care of this, but, alas… the courts are essentially useless anymore.

The first one was a 4.5, according to the article. The "sonic boom" you heard (I heard it too, and have also heard it several times for earthquakes that have happened nearby in the Jones area east of OKC) is a sure indicator of a fracking earthquake. What happens is the sudden surge of pressure from the liquid being injected creates an initial shock wave which is carried through the ground. When it reaches the surface, the ground acts like a big speaker and transfers the shock wave into the air, producing the sound. At the same time you hear the "sonic boom", you also feel a sudden jarring impact that feels like a truck just ran into the side of your house, and then the earthquake starts.

An interesting observation is that a lot of earthquakes were occuring in the Jones area last year and the year before. Then last fall the state shut down a couple of injection wells located in or near the SE part of the city, and there haven't been any earthquakes happening near Jones since then. The state has extensive data on this, and yet still refuses to admit the correlation.


And for those of you out there who feel that we're somehow making this stuff up, and that anyone is advocating for some sort of "big goverment" solution, here is the situation:
Your house has been there for decades, long before the fracking started, and has always been just fine, and you've kept it in good repair. Then the earthquakes started happening. Enough of them happened, that the insurance companies started offering earthquake insurance. So you bought earthquake insurance. Then the connection between fracking and earthquakes came to light, and the insurance companies decided that they didn't want to pay out on earthquake claims because the evidence showed that the earthquakes weren't just happening naturally. The state has their whitewash agencies deny the evidence, tell everyone that nothing is wrong, and claims that they can't figure out what's happening. The state's Corporation Commission, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner order the insurance companies to pay out on earthquake claims, and threaten to bar them from doing business in the state if they don't. In response, the insurance companies raise their rates for earthquake insurance exponentially, so you cancel your policy because you can't afford it anymore. Several months later, a new fracking operation starts up a few miles from your house. You suddenly start experiencing quite a few minor earthquakes that are too small to be reported. Then one day, you get hit with the big one. Your driveway and your foundation are cracked. Your chimney got heavily damaged, and not only did it damage your furnace flue so you can't heat your house next winter, a brick also fell off and put a huge dent in the roof of your 2 year old car. The drywall on your home's interior walls got cracked in several rooms, too. You've probably got around $15-20,000 worth of damage that your insurance isn't going to cover. You do some research in the state's records, and find out the oil company a few miles away was fracking a horizontal well that runs towards your property just minutes before that earthquake started. Since you can't afford to just shrug and fix all the damage to your home, you decide to try to sue the oil company and hold them responsible for the damage (the "correct" solution). You call all 300 lawyers in the phone book. Only two are willing to even take your case and sue an oil company, but not only do both of them want a $10,000 retainer upfront in cash (which you don't have), but they also both tell you that the case will probably take years, and that winning is unlikely because the courts will side with the corporation over the individual.

So, what would YOU do in this situation? How do we solve this problem? How does the individual recover damages caused by a large corporation that is protected by the state and their courts? That is the question that must be asked. Put YOURSELF in exactly this situation, because that is exactly the situation that people here are in. Talking about "global warming" and making accusations that people are "advocating for big government" isn't cutting it. Answer the questions I've posed here several times and let's have a constructive discussion on the topic, rather than distract from the topic at hand.

[Brett85]

The problem is that individuals' property is being damaged, with many suggestions as to why this is happening, but we're told to turn our heads the other way.

Where is the evidence that any of these earthquakes have actually caused property damage? I had thought that so far there hadn't actually been any insurance claims filed due to these earthquakes.

[Brett85]

Having moved right into the middle of fracking central, I've done a LOT of research on the subject. By all means, do the same research. No one here is advocating any sort of big government solution to anything. Again, my question to you is that given that the "correct" solution of seeking remedy through the courts no longer works because the deck has been stacked against the little guy, how do we the people correct the problem?

I don't know exactly what should be done, but it sounded like some here were calling for a ban on all fracking, which simply isn't feasible. As I understand, it's not the fracking itself that's causing the earthquakes, but rather the waste water disposal wells. I don't know if there's some other way the oil and natural gas companies could get rid of the waste water, but perhaps they should be encouraged to do so. Perhaps a libertarian solution would be to grant tax breaks to the oil and natural gas companies that start closing down the waste water disposal wells and instead come up with an innovative solution? I don't believe that just banning all hydraulic fracking is feasible or consist with free market principles.

[invisible]

Where is the evidence that any of these earthquakes have actually caused property damage? I had thought that so far there hadn't actually been any insurance claims filed due to these earthquakes.

Uh, all over the news, perhaps? There's dozens and dozens of stories about the property damage these earthquakes have been causing, do some research and you will see that the scenario I outlined in post #47 is exactly what is actually happening here, and is not a hypothetical exaggeraton. The story I cited in post #38 describes property damage. Here's a followup story (on the same earthquakes). Not only will I quote the description of property damage for you (misspellings and all), but also note that an oil and gas company has all but admitted fault, as well as the state Corporation Commission whitewash agency. There's video at the links as well, so you can even see the property damage with your own eyes.

http://www.okcfox.com/story/29655353...njection-wells

In response to a 4.5 magnitude quake centered near Crescent on Monday, The Oklahoma Corporation Commission announced 3 wastewater injection wells are shutting down or cutting back.

Some residents like Lavinia House even suffered damage to their homes in the largest 4.5 magnitude quake centered just northeast of Crescent.

"I got splits in my ceiling in the dinging room and the kitchen and I have a big mirror over my fire place and it splits going from the mirror," said House.

The operators of two oil and gas wastewater disposal wells near Crescent are voluntarily shutting down, and a third is cutting back 50 percent.

"Before they started doing all this drilling and stuff we did not have all these earthquakes, and I guess if we did they were so small we didn't feel me," said Miller.

A Corporation Commission spokesperson says they can't confirm the injection wells caused the quakes, but they are a risk factor. Residents say they have no doubt the wells are to blame, and they hope something more is done before it's too late.

"It's a good thing and it's a good step but they need to shut them down completely because it's ruining our property. So we're the ones suffering and that's just not right," said House.

The Corporation Commission spokesperson says they are looking at additional steps that can be taken to prevent earthquakes especially in Logan County. We're told Crescent has been shaken by a dozen earthquakes in the last 2 weeks.

[Brett85]

Ok, fair enough. It sounds like the oil and gas companies are already taking steps on their own to change the way they do things and hopefully help rectify the problem of increasing frequency and intensity of earthquakes.

[Brett85]

Again, to be more specific, is there a solution to this problem other than just banning all fracking?

[invisible]

I don't know exactly what should be done, but it sounded like some here were calling for a ban on all fracking, which simply isn't feasible. As I understand, it's not the fracking itself that's causing the earthquakes, but rather the waste water disposal wells. I don't know if there's some other way the oil and natural gas companies could get rid of the waste water, but perhaps they should be encouraged to do so. Perhaps a libertarian solution would be to grant tax breaks to the oil and natural gas companies that start closing down the waste water disposal wells and instead come up with an innovative solution? I don't believe that just banning all hydraulic fracking is feasible or consist with free market principles.

I really encourage you to do some further research. I didn't know jack about fracking until I moved right into the middle of fracking central and went through an earthquake several months later. I ended up doing a LOT of research: the fracking process itself, the laws that apply to both property and mineral rights owners, the history of fracking, geology, fault lines, etc, etc. I learned a LOT in the process, and I'm still learning. Here's a couple of interesting topics for you to research. One would be the "shale bubble" or "shale oil bubble". It's an interesting examination of the economics of fracking, with the conclusion that the industry is an unsustainable ponzi scheme. Another would be the OK State Geological Survey's pdf report on the big 2011 earthquake here, titled "Examination Of Possibly Induced Seismicity From Hydralic Fracturing in the Eola Field, Garvin County, Oklahoma". Note that it was authored by Austin Holland, who I mentioned in posts #36 and #38. This is considered a very influential study in explaining exactly how fracking causes earthquakes. Another study recently came out of CO last year that built further on this work and offered additional explanation. The scientific evidence IS there, and readily available for all to see. Go back and dig up the news reports on how much property damage that big 2011 earthquake caused, there's plenty of them out there. Plug the words "earthquake damage oklahoma" into your favorite search engine and see how many news stories you come up with about the extent of property damage these earthquakes have caused. Read about how many earthquakes OK used to have before all the fracking started, and how many we have now. I don't know where you're at, but I'm actually living through this stuff. You can walk through my neighborhood and see walls and driveways that are cracked, that weren't two and a half years ago when I moved here. I know someone who used to work for a concrete contractor, they said the calls would roll in from people with cracked driveways the day after an earthquake. This is absolutely for real. Again, I highly encourage you to do some in-depth research, and be able to offer a actually informed opinion.

As for me personally, my feelings are mixed. Being able to drill for oil right here in the USA is a good thing. If we've got the oil, by all means drill for it rather than buy it from elsewhere. But if we want energy independence, we shouldn't be shipping the goods to china (again, do your research, this is what's happening), and should be raising export tariffs rather than handing out subsidies. In some places (OK being one of them, I had never heard of this before moving here), it's virtually impossible to keep someone from drilling for oil on YOUR land - another good subject of research is what "split estate", "fee simple", and "forced pooling" mean. So corporations have the right to drill for oil, that's great. But they don't have the right to poison your well, poison an aquafier, pollute your land, or cause property damage. Yet all of these things are happening (again, do your research, plenty of news reports of all of these things), and the industry is allowed to continue these practices. The fracking process itself is actually a pretty cool idea. But in actual practice, I feel it's a disaster just waiting to happen. Disaster from the "shale bubble" collapsing. Disaster from yet another person's well being poisoned. Disaster from another chemical spill on someone's land. Earthquake damage. If you dig a hole and dump a bunch of toxic chemicals into it, no good can come of that. Drilling the hole 10 miles down before you fill it with toxic chemicals isn't an issue of out of sight, out of mind. Those chemicals aren't being sealed in a clay liner, they will eventually go somewhere. Even if everything remains hunky dory for the next 100 years, what happens when the water supply for a major city becomes contaminated, and the corporation who did it declared bankruptcy years ago and is long gone? What happens when a major earthquake practically levels a large city that isn't built with earthquakes in mind? In theory, yeah, fracking is a cool idea. But in practice, it could prove to be very stupid in the long run. And in the immediate present, the biggest problem and question is how do we address the issue of property damage, when the "correct" solution of the courts is stacked against the individual. Regardless of whether anyone may or may not feel that banning the practice is a "correct" or "valid" solution or not, it's certainly feasible to do so, since several states and countries have done it. While some may scream "but that would be a big government intrusion in the free market", it is also true that a legitimate function of government is to protect property rights, and that would include the right to not have your property damaged or polluted at random. I don't make an argument one way or another, I only point to the REAL problem at hand (the "correct" solution isn't actually available to just anyone, and therefore property rights are not properly protected), and ask the relevant question of how can this actually be addressed in a practical manner?

[invisible]

Ok, fair enough. It sounds like the oil and gas companies are already taking steps on their own to change the way they do things and hopefully help rectify the problem of increasing frequency and intensity of earthquakes.

Yes, exactly, and that's a very good thing to see! Entirely voluntary, no force of government or the courts. For one, it's taking responsibility, and doing the right thing (admission of the problem, without admitting guilt). For another, it also signals that the end of being able to get away with causing damage is near, and that they're scared of being held liable in court.

I don't argue for a ban, nor do I argue against one. A ban would certainly solve the problem, but I feel it only creates a different problem in exchange. I feel that the solution lies in EVERYONE having equal access to justice in the court system, and the deck not being stacked against the individual. To me, the real question here, is how do we actually go about acheiving that? I'll admit, I certainly don't have an answer, and haven't thought very much about one.

[invisible]

Here's another news report:

http://www.news9.com/story/29654651/...attle-crescent

After multiple quakes hit the area Monday, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission contacted the operators of the three nearest disposal wells. All three wells are within approximately three miles of the epicenter and fit the high risk profile.

“We always look for high volume, deep disposal wells and all three of these are fairly high volume based on their injection reports and they are deep. They are Arbuckle disposal wells,” Matt Skinner, of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, said.

Skinner said they are looking into if any of those wells have increased production in the last couple weeks. Devon Energy operates one of those disposal wells and Stephens Production operates the other two.

[invisible]

Brett85, how has your research been going? Have you been learning anything interesting about this issue?

The cat is now out of the bag, and the state has admitted that injection wells (fracking activity) has been causing the earthquakes. In the following stories, we have admissions from Governor Drone herself, and all state whitewash agencies. Now that the problem has been admitted, the problem is what to do about the problem. This is the first time I've heard a new industry dodge, of "stopping will cause even more earthquakes". That's a good one, for sure! Funny, putting a halt to it didn't cause more earthquakes in OH and AR.

http://kfor.com/2015/08/04/gov-mary-...isposal-wells/

Scientists say there has been a steady increase in the number of small earthquakes in our state. There were close to 600 earthquakes magnitude 3 or greater last year — three times more than California — and this year, it’s on track for more than 800.

In the meeting, the governor acknowledged there is a direct correlation between increased seismic activity and disposal wells.

http://kfor.com/2015/08/04/the-build...thquake-looms/

With the governor acknowledging a correlation between earthquakes and wastewater disposal wells, some believe the state could be a ticking time bomb

.

Founded by the governor, the Coordinating Council on Seismic Activity has been gathering data behind Oklahoma earthquakes since September.

Now, it says the cause is wastewater disposal wells.

“We’ve narrowed that now, through the science and the work at this table, to say it’s injection wells,” said Michael Teague, State Secretary of Energy and Environment.

But yet the state still continues to side-step.

http://kfor.com/2015/08/03/corporati...isposal-wells/

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is now focused on a small area that stretches from northern Oklahoma County into southern Logan County.

That area has seen a stark rise in Earthquakes recently registering higher than a 2.5 magnitude…from just two in 2012, to more than 250 so far this year.

Soon, more than 20 saltwater disposal well operators will receive a letter, informing them to reduce their daily disposal volume by 38 percent by October 2nd. The wells in question lie near the Arbuckle formation.

http://kfor.com/2015/05/12/political...jection-wells/

Some believe it’s time to put a stop to oil and gas injection wells.

Monday a group of Oklahomans went to the governor’s office to make the request.

However, the governor says she doesn’t have the power.

The Corporation Commission says it’s not their job either.

The debate that seems to have become a round of “pass the buck.”

Governor Mary Fallin said, “The governor does not have the power to put a moratorium on injection wells.”

Fallin says the Oklahoma Corporation Commission does have the power to regulate the oil and gas industry, but even they cannot implement a moratorium.

Governor Fallin said, “The corporation commission does not have the power to do a blanket moratorium, but they do have the authority to not issue a permit on a disposal well.”

That bounces the ball back to Oklahoma lawmakers.

Kim Hatfield, with the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, said, “If you’ll ask seismologists, the rapid cessation of injection, like they’re calling for, could actually cause seismicity.”

That’s claim we’d never heard of before, so we did some checking.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey said it’s not something they’ve researched.

They referred us to a geophysicist at Stanford.

We tracked that researcher down, and he says there are some scientists who believe it may be possible, in isolated cases, for a complete shutdown to cause earthquakes.

But he says for now it’s simply a theory, an idea with no proof.

And as I had mentioned before, there IS political pressure on the State Geological Survey, and it's interesting that this would come to light:

http://kfor.com/2015/05/18/e-mail-cl...ers-dismissed/

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma oil tycoon Harold Hamm is accused of telling a University of Oklahoma dean that he wanted certain Oklahoma Geological Survey scientists dismissed, according to an e-mail obtained by Bloomberg News.

Which scientists exactly? The ones who were studying the links between oil and gas activity with Oklahoma’s dramatic increase in earthquakes.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Geological Survey announced that it believed disposal wells used by oil companies was to blame for Oklahoma’s increase in earthquakes.

Reports surfaced saying the OGS was being pressured to stay silent on the issue.

However, a few months later, OGS announced that it agrees with the USGS that Oklahoma’s earthquakes are linked to oil and gas activity.

And the political pushback has been increasing. Note the problems that people are having with regards to property damage and insurance coverage:

http://kfor.com/2015/06/23/concern-o...tral-oklahoma/

Most of the buildings in downtown Guthrie are more than 100 years old. The Heritage Collection was built in the late 1800s. The owner says the earthquakes are causing damage to her business.

“You can see where the wall is shifting because all the paper is tearing and separating,” Linda Rice, owner of The Heritage Collection, said.

She blames earthquakes for cracks in the walls and a sinking floor in her business.

“I mean, it actually looks like it’s falling because this floor is going downhill,” Rice said.

Rice says she cannot get earthquake insurance because the building is too old. The money for repairs will most likely come from her own pocket.

http://kfor.com/2015/08/05/some-loca...ake-insurance/

Residents want to know how to protect their homes and businesses from the destructive quakes.

Gov. Mary Fallin says the answer is to get earthquake insurance.

However, for some business owners like Linda Rice, that’s easier said than done.

“I can’t. My building was built in 1898 and in that time, they didn’t use anything but brick and mortar and they won’t insure them,” Rice said.

Her business and others like it can’t get the insurance that is necessary to cover repairs.

“It’s frustrating because we are trying to find markets to cover them, and I’m not saying they are not out there, but we haven’t found them yet that will cover those older building,” said Dennis Ochs.

Ochs is a local insurance agent.

“Two years ago, we never wrote any earthquake insurance to think of and now, we are writing more and more as time goes by,” he said.

Because of that, he’s had to deliver bad news to clients like Rice.

He says there usually is coverage for newer structures.

A policy will cost you about $200 and expect to pay a high deductible.

Experts say that deductible is usually five to 10 percent of the home’s value.

For example, to make repairs to a home valued at $120,000, the homeowner would be responsible for paying $12,000 out-of-pocket.

[Brett85]

I've been busy and unfortunately haven't spent much time on research yet. I did see on the news that the Oklahoma Governor came out and said that the earthquakes were being caused by the waste water disposal wells. I hope that they can come up with a way to solve the problem that involves the least amount of government intervention possible.

[invisible]

Since the oil companies changed their operations at the end of July, there don't seem to have been any significant earthquakes in the area. What an amazing coincidence!

Brett85, have you taken the time to do any research on this issue yet? The directions I've pointed you in do lead to some pretty interesting reading that you very well may enjoy.

[invisible]

So, here we go again. Got woken up by an earthquake last night just before 4am. Did some poking around to find out where it was centered and how big it was. Yup, not only was it another fairly major earthquake, but it also turns out that there have been many in this area, and that they have been linked to oil and gas operations:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/4...ahoma-35494731

At least seven earthquakes rattled north-central Oklahoma on Monday, including one felt 300 miles away in Iowa, prompting concern from local residents and policymakers that the state isn't doing enough to curb the quakes that scientists have linked to oil and gas activity.

4.7 temblor that hit before 4 a.m. Monday some 16 miles from his home in Medford,

Robbins said the quakes left a few pictures askew on his wall, and he noticed a door frame in his house is "tighter than it used to be."

State regulators have taken steps to try and curb the number of quakes, working with disposal well operators in the area to have them reduce the volume in disposal wells or shut them down entirely. But so far the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's voluntary program has done little to curb the number of quakes.

http://newsok.com/article/5463659

MEDFORD -- A 4.5 magnitude earthquake has been reported west, southwest of Medford Monday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
The quake was at 3:49 a.m. 16 miles west, southwest of Medford in northern Oklahoma in Grant County.
Also, at 5:50 a.m. a 3.0 magnitude quake was reported 4 miles east, northeast of Edmond

http://newsok.com/usgs-upgrades-earl...rticle/5463813

USGS upgrades early-morning earthquake to 4.7 magnitude; tied for state's largest since 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 4.7 earthquake in Grant County on Monday morning, the state's largest in a little over a week.
The temblor was recorded at 3:49 a.m. about 16 miles west-southwest of Medford with a depth of 3 miles.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/earthquake...9e1e28b0d.html

Regulators were again assessing their response to recent seismic activity on Monday after the second 4.7-magnitude earthquake in less than two weeks shook northwestern Oklahoma.

The latest, west-southwest of Medford in Grant County, occurred at 3:49 a.m. Monday. Eight earthquakes of magnitude 4.2 or greater have occurred in that area this year.

All told, Oklahoma has had more than 600 earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude or greater in 2015, easily a record. The two 4.7 quakes are the strongest in four years.

Geologists attribute the increased seismicity to the high-pressure injection of wastewater from crude-oil production into certain rock formations.

The state, through the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, has responded by ordering some 635 disposal wells to modify or cease intake volume. Three weeks ago, on Nov. 9, the commission ordered the operators of nine wells near Medford to modify their operations there.

For Tulsans, the earthquakes to this point have been more or less an annoying novelty.
In other parts of the state, however, they are damaging buildings and jangling nerves.

Apparently this has been going on in that area for some time:

http://www.news9.com/story/27943528/...s-near-medford

Jan 26, 2015

The 4.3 magnitude quake shook the area three miles northeast of Medford and 32 miles north, northeast of Enid at 1:30 p.m., according to the USGS.

http://www.newson6.com/story/2601108...d-near-medford

Jul 14, 2014

MEDFORD, Oklahoma -
More earthquakes over 3.0 in magnitude were recorded in Oklahoma on Monday.
A 3.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Medford, Oklahoma, early Monday morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was recorded at 2:15 a.m. Its epicenter was located nine miles southwest of Medford, 20 miles north of Enid, and 86 miles north, northwest of Oklahoma City.
It was about four miles deep.
Another earthquake struck just before noon near the Langston area. The second quake was recorded as a 3.3 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was located file south, southwest of Langston at a depth of three miles.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/earthquake...b34d1228a.html

November 11, 2015

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 3.9 magnitude earthquake Tuesday night in Oklahoma.
The temblor recorded 7:39 p.m. about 8 miles north-northwest of Medford in Grant County.
Oklahoma also recorded a 3.6 and a 3.7-magnitude earthquake Tuesday near Cushing and Medford, according to the USGS.
During the past seven days, the USGS recorded 54 Oklahoma quakes during the past seven days. During the past 30 days, Oklahoma recorded 115 earthquakes of at least 2.5 magnitude.
The largest during that timeframe were 4.1 magnitude earthquakes Nov. 2 near Langston and Saturday near Medford.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission ordered Tuesday that the volume of liquids being injected into nine Grant County disposal wells be reduced in response to a series of earthquakes in the area.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/earthquake...916fe1f47.html

November 11, 2015

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission ordered Tuesday that the volume of liquids being injected into nine Grant County disposal wells be reduced in response to a series of earthquakes in the area.
A memo by Tim Baker, director of the commission’s Oil and Gas Conservation Division, said the action was taken because of an increasing number of earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater since Jan. 1, 2013.
The memo says 372 tremors of at least magnitude 2.5 have been recorded within 12 miles of an epicenter northwest of Medford.
A magnitude-4.1 earthquake was recorded there on Nov. 2, a magnitude 3.8 temblor on Saturday and a magnitude 3.7 quake on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s order directs the operators of three wells within three miles of the epicenter to reduce volume by 50 percent and six more wells located three to six miles from the epicenter to cut back by 25 percent.

And here's a few other related articles:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local...cc63e5cbf.html

Posted: Tuesday, August 4, 2015 12:00 am | Updated: 9:42 am, Thu Nov 19, 2015.

Wastewater well operators in a puzzling seismic area of central Oklahoma spotlighted by the Tulsa World on Monday have been directed to cut injection volumes below 2012 outputs.
The move appears to signal a shift from state directives targeting well depth to looking at injection volumes as a way to address induced earthquake concerns.

The area of interest is in northern Oklahoma County and southern Logan County, which Skinner described Monday as puzzling. He explained that region — roughly between Edmond and Guthrie — doesn’t harbor the “classic high-risk wells” that are deep or have high injection volumes.

Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy in a prepared statement said the earthquake issue is “completely outside” the experience of the agency, as well as partner agencies and stakeholders.

“There was a time when the scientific, legal, policy and other concerns related to this issue had to first be carefully researched and debated in order to provide a valid framework for such action,” Murphy said. “That time is over.”

The Corporation Commission on Monday also provided earthquake and injection data for that specific area. The data shows a tremendous leap in magnitude 2.5 or greater earthquakes from 2013 to 2014, as well as a record pace for 2015.

http://www.npr.org/2015/11/30/456777...ma-earthquakes

Updated November 30, 2015

After a magnitude-4.5 earthquake was recorded near Cushing in October, Oklahoma regulators ordered oil companies to shut down several disposal wells. That seemed to slow the shaking — at least for a while

The ground is shaking near Cushing, Okla., home to the largest commercial crude oil storage center in North America.

"We're in amongst about 18 tanks here. Anywhere from 350,000 barrels to 575,000 barrels," says Mike Moeller, senior director of midcontinent assets for Enbridge Energy.

He walks through the tank farm and worries about all the industry-linked earthquakes. These tanks were built to national standards that account for some shaking, but they weren't constructed with serious earthquakes in mind.

In October, a magnitude-4.5 earthquake struck a few miles away. Moeller says it triggered inspections, but no immediate problems, at the Enbridge tank farm.

The massive hub in Cushing, where domestic crude oil enters the energy market, is dotted with hundreds of airplane hangar-sized tanks that hold an estimated 54 million barrels of oil.

McNamara's research centers on a series of earthquakes recorded last year. Those quakes and the faults that produced them are strikingly similar to the ones that created the largest quake ever recorded in Oklahoma.

"In fact, it's all part of the same general fault system," McNamara says.

That magnitude-5.6 quake occurred in 2011 near an Oklahoma town called Prague. The two places have something in common: wastewater injection.

Oil and gas production creates a lot of toxic wastewater. To keep it from contaminating drinking water, oil companies inject the fluid into underground disposal wells. That can put pressure on faults, causing them to slip.

Scientists say this is exactly what is responsible for Oklahoma's massive earthquake spike. Officials worry that if a strong quake hits Cushing, it would damage the oil hub and disrupt the U.S. energy market.

Control center operators ordered inspections after the strong quake last month. In response, state regulators shut down and limited injection at nearby disposal wells.

McNamara, the USGS scientist, says that was smart. They did the same thing last year, too, which he says seemed to slow the shaking — at least for a while.

The earthquake activity near the oil hub resumed when the wells came back online.

http://newsok.com/reading-the-rock-s...rticle/5463426

November 29, 2015 Updated: 1 hour ago

Most scientists, state regulators and oil and natural gas industry leaders now say oil and natural gas activities have contributed to or caused the rapid increase in seismic activity over the past three years.

“If the rate of injection exceeds the Arbuckle's capacity to store the fluid, the fluid doesn't necessarily migrate as a result of the pressure gradient laterally, but it might diffuse from the Arbuckle downward into the basement or upwards into the overlying layers,” Murray said.

Now, however, there are questions as to what is happening to the water and whether it could be draining to other layers.
Whatever is happening, Murray said it's unlikely that the water is simply draining into the underlying basement rock.

The state averaged 4.8 earthquakes of magnitude 2.8 or greater per day in July. That number has decreased to 3.5 per day. While the overall rate has dropped, isolated areas — including Cushing and parts of Logan County — have seen increases. The biggest reduction has been in Grant and Alfalfa counties.

[invisible]

And another big one. Felt this one pretty strongly as well. Since this one is in a moneyed area, some hell might be raised this time around. That the state whitewash corporation commission made a statement that they are "preparing a response", it seems that they expect that to happen. I continue to maintain that no solution favoring the interests of the people will occur until there is extensive and widespread property damage in a moneyed area like Edmond or Bethany. Maybe this one will do the trick. Interesting to see that this thread quieted down very quickly, now that oil and gas activity being the case of earthquakes is accepted even by the industry shills as fact.

http://newsok.com/earthquakes
from the above link, all in or near Edmond on 12/29/15:

4.3 at 5:39AM
3.4 at 5:49AM
2.5 at 12:00PM
2.9 at 12:47PM
2.7 at 12:27PM
3.2 at 3:40PM
2.6 at 5:52PM

http://newsok.com/edmond-earthquake-...rticle/5469425
This article contains video of the earthquake, damage reports, and photos of damage

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-regulator...rticle/5469411

A 4.3-magnitude quake struck at 5:39 a.m. about five miles east northeast of Edmond, followed by a 3.4-magnitude earthquake about 10 minutes later, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The area around the earthquakes has disposal wells, but they aren't the deep, high-volume type previously targeted by regulators at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for their links to induced earthquakes, said spokesman Matt Skinner.

Skinner said commission officials are working on a response to Tuesday's pair of Edmond earthquakes, with details announced as soon as the plan is finalized.

The Logan County Trend has perplexed researchers and regulators. The earthquake activity there doesn't display the same traits as other areas of interest designated by the Corporation Commission, which has focused largely on disposal wells in the deep Arbuckle formation.

Even as Oklahoma regulators ramp up their responses, the earthquakes have continued across central and northern Oklahoma. The state has recorded more than 840 earthquakes greater than magnitude 3.0 this year, far surpassing the 585 in that category in 2014.

The energy industry has largely complied with the voluntary directives, although SandRidge Energy Inc. told the Corporation Commission it won't comply with a Dec. 3 directive to reduce volumes at six disposal wells the company has in Alfalfa County. Commission officials are preparing an administrative case against the company that is expected to be filed within the next few weeks.

http://newsok.com/large-earthquake-h...rticle/5469377

The earthquake, which was followed shortly by a 3.4 magnitude earthquake, hit near Interstate 35 northeast of Edmond.

Oklahomans from Norman to Tulsa took to social media before sunrise on Tuesday after the earthquake either rattled them awake or startled them during their morning routine. While many simply noted the earthquake, others said they were left without power or had items in their home break, posting pictures of shattered mirrors or cracked walls.

According to Edmond Electric spokesman Casey Moore, about 4,400 customers were left without power after this morning's earthquake.

Senat said the quake knocked items off of his shelves and picture frames over throughout his house, and he believes it was also the cause of a brief power outage.

http://www.koco.com/news/41-magnitud...dmond/37172348
the quote is from the transcript of the video that this article contains

QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE INSIDE THAT LIQUOR STORE AND BOTTLES FALLING DOWN AND THAT SEEM TO BE ALL OF THE DAMAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING UP HERE. THINGS LIKE THAT FALLING OFF. TALKED TO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS AROUND HERE AND THEY SAY PICTURES FALLING OFF THE WALLS AND CRACKS IN THE WALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT

and from the article's photo gallery showing some of the damage: