Arkansas Suspends Drilling of Injection Wells after Earthquake Swarm

[The Straight Story]

Arkansas Suspends Drilling of Injection Wells after Earthquake Swarm

After months of earthquakes, including the largest felt in 35 years, the state of Arkansas has ordered a temporary moratorium on the drilling of new injection wells related to natural gas-related drilling, which some locals believe are causing the seismic activity. More than 700 small earthquakes have been recorded in north-central Arkansas in the last six months.

Although the earthquake swarm might be a natural occurrence, it is also possible that it has been a consequence of the natural gas drilling technique known as “hydraulic fracturing” or “fracking.” The process entails injecting millions of gallons of chemicals, sand or fluids into a well to crack open the rocks and allow easier access to the natural gas. The problem in Arkansas appears to be related not to the drilling itself, but to the disposal of wastewater from the drilling by forcing it back into the earth into injection wells.

The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission imposed an emergency stoppage on the drilling of new injection wells in the central part of the state after a 4.7 quake shook the area near Greenbrier on February 27.

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Arkansas_Suspends_Drilling_of_Injection_Wells_after_Earthquake_Swarm_110302

[liberal N proud]

1. Hey, those rumblings, they are Earth calling

She wants to tell you to stop poking her.

It's not nice to mess with mother nature.

[shraby]

2. They knew when the earthquakes first began after injecting

into the wells. This happened about 30 years ago in (if I remember right) Texas, and they figured out then that injecting water into a well triggered earthquakes. In fact since they were small quakes, it was contemplated it might help to inject water where there were fault lines in California to release pressure with small quakes.

It was decided against doing because they couldn't control the results and it could actually trigger a huge one. Read it in a science magazine.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Plus, all this "wastewater" they "inject" back into the earth, where does that end up?

Do not they not understand that water moves for miles underground?

[starroute]

4. 17 more small quakes just in the last two days

Earthquake List for Map Centered at 35°N, 92°W

Update time = Thu Mar 3 16:41:48 UTC 2011

Here are the earthquakes in the Map Centered at 35°N, 92°W area, most recent at the top.

MAP 2.4 2011/03/03 15:59:04 35.234 -92.369 5.0 2 km ( 1 mi) ENE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 3.7 2011/03/03 15:55:24 35.241 -92.389 6.6 1 km ( 1 mi) N of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 3.2 2011/03/03 15:31:49 35.266 -92.371 6.0 4 km ( 3 mi) NNE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 1.9 2011/03/03 14:05:23 35.282 -92.337 4.1 5 km ( 3 mi) S of Guy, AR
MAP 2.3 2011/03/03 08:13:17 35.282 -92.337 4.3 5 km ( 3 mi) S of Guy, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/03/03 08:09:14 35.284 -92.332 3.4 5 km ( 3 mi) S of Guy, AR
MAP 1.9 2011/03/03 03:07:14 35.256 -92.352 4.6 4 km ( 3 mi) NE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.3 2011/03/03 00:07:04 35.256 -92.361 4.5 4 km ( 2 mi) NE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 1.9 2011/03/03 00:00:46 35.254 -92.359 5.2 4 km ( 2 mi) NE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/03/02 21:10:59 35.257 -92.355 4.2 4 km ( 3 mi) NE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.1 2011/03/02 18:17:33 35.249 -92.346 4.0 5 km ( 3 mi) ENE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/03/02 11:59:02 35.240 -92.370 6.4 2 km ( 1 mi) NE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.5 2011/03/02 09:53:11 35.281 -92.334 2.9 5 km ( 3 mi) S of Guy, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/03/02 09:12:50 35.231 -92.386 6.5 0 km ( 0 mi) ENE of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.3 2011/03/02 09:05:42 35.290 -92.323 4.0 4 km ( 2 mi) SSE of Guy, AR
MAP 2.5 2011/03/02 08:25:23 35.229 -92.383 6.3 1 km ( 0 mi) E of Greenbrier, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/03/02 04:17:37 35.264 -92.344 4.0 6 km ( 4 mi) NE of Greenbrier, AR