Walsh, F. R. and Zoback, Mark (2015) Oklahoma's recent earthquakes and saltwater disposal. Science Advances, 1 (5). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500195
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Over the past 5 years, parts of Oklahoma have experienced marked increases in the number of small- to moderate-sized earthquakes. In three study areas that encompass the vast majority of the recent seismicity, we show that the increases in seismicity follow 5- to 10-fold increases in the rates of saltwater disposal. Adjacent areas where there has been relatively little saltwater disposal have had comparatively few recent earthquakes. In the areas of seismic activity, the saltwater disposal principally comes from “produced” water, saline pore water that is coproduced with oil and then injected into deeper sedimentary formations. These formations appear to be in hydraulic communication with potentially active faults in crystalline basement, where nearly all the earthquakes are occurring. Although most of the recent earthquakes have posed little danger to the public, the possibility of triggering damaging earthquakes on potentially active basement faults cannot be discounted.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | triggered earthquakes, saltwater disposal, hydraulic fracturing |
| Subjects: | Methodology > Method and procesing > Collective properties of seismicity Region > USA > Oklahoma Inducing technology > Underground storage of fluids Inducing technology > Conventional hydrocarbon extraction Inducing technology > Unconventional hydrocarbon extraction |
| Project: | EPOS-IP > OKLAHOMA: conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon extraction and wastewater injection SHEER project > OKLAHOMA: conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon extraction and wastewater injection |