Oklahoma cracks down more on disposal wells after Cushing quakes
Source: Reuters
US | Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:28am EDT
Oklahoma cracks down more on disposal wells after Cushing quakes
CUSHING, OKLA./HOUSTON
Oklahoma regulators are cracking down harder on saltwater disposal wells near the vitally important Cushing crude storage hub, where a rash of quakes have stoked concerns its tanks and pipelines may not be designed to handle a major seismic event.
The state's oil and gas regulator late on Monday said all saltwater disposal wells within a 10-mile radius of Cushing could face new limits. It has also basically halted approvals for new disposal wells for the time being and ordered 13 wells to shut in or reduce the amount of water they inject deep into the earth.
Once considered an area of "moderate seismic risk", Oklahoma now experiences as many as two magnitude 3.0 or higher earthquakes a day, up from just two a year in 2008. The uptick has been attributed to the disposal of saltwater, a normal byproduct of oil drilling, into deep wells.
In September, in a bid to curb the frequency of the quakes, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), which regulates the state's oil industry, ordered drilling companies to shut or reduce usage at half a dozen saltwater wells near Cushing. Just one month later, a pair of earthquakes registering at 4.4 and 4.5 struck near Cushing, renewing safety concerns among residents and regulators alike.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/20/us-oklahoma-oil-quakes-idUSKCN0SE20020151020
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