iKan Media

  • Home
  • News
    • Alberta
    • Canada
    • International
    • Environment
    • Innovation
    • Safety
  • Video
  • Editorial
  • About
    • The Team
  • Contact
You are here: Home / News / International / Oil wells may be linked to earthquakes

Oil wells may be linked to earthquakes

July 14, 2014 by Rob Hislop Leave a Comment

A study by researchers from Cornell University, University of Colorado, Columbia University, and the U.S. Geological Survey believe four waste water wells could be at fault for starting one in five earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. from 2008 to 2013.

The results are published in the journal Science.

photo courtesy: Katsrkool via Flickr

photo courtesy: Katsrkool via Flickr

The wells were used to dispose of waste water released from underground rocks during fracking operations. The study goes so far as to suggest the wells could be the reason for a big jump in earthquakes around Oklahoma City.  Oklahoma, with twice as many quakes (with a magnitude 3 or higher) as California, is now the state with the most seismic activity this year, outside of Alaska.

The data shows water pumped into waste water wells can affect underground pressures up to 35 kilometers.

(source: Bloomberg Business Week)

Filed Under: International, News Tagged With: earthquakes, fracking, gas wells, oil wells, waste water

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.


  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Topics

Alberta Alberta Energy Regulator British Columbia Calgary Canada Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers Canadians Climate Change crude oil drilling Edmonton Enbridge energy Energy East Environment environmental First Nations fracking Gulf of Mexico Harper Government hydraulic fracturing industry Innovation Keystone XL Keystone XL pipeline Kinder Morgan Northern gateway Northern Gateway pipeline oil oil and gas oil companies oil industry oil sands oil spill pipeline refinery Safety Shell spill tar sands train TransCanada treaty rights U.S. water

Categories

  • Alberta
  • Canada
  • Editorial
  • Environment
  • Event Coverage
  • iKanMedia TV
  • Innovation
  • International
  • Letters
  • News
  • Safety
  • Uncategorized
  • Video

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in