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thomas davison

Ohio Fracking Operation Halted Over Earthquakes
By Charles Kennedy | Sun, 16 March 2014 00:00 | 1

A series of earthquakes hit eastern Ohio on March 10 prompting officials to halt hydraulic fracturing operations as they investigated the cause. The earthquake occurred in Mahoning County near seven drilling sites owned by Hillcorp Energy.

In a region that has not historically had a high frequency of earthquakes, the occurrence of earthquakes central and southern regions of the U.S. have increased by a factor of 20. After a well is fractured, the waste water is pushed back into the ground for storage in what are known as �injection wells.� Scientists believe that there is evidence to support the idea that injection wells are contributing to the rise in earthquakes, rather than the �frack� job itself. However, the latest series of earthquakes occurred in an area without waste injection wells, but they were located near wells that are actively being drilled. This has raised questions about the connection between fracking and earthquakes.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources suspended the drilling operations out of �an abundance of caution.� Hilcorp Energy, the operator of the nearby wells, agreed with the agency.

Back in 2011 several large earthquakes hit near Youngstown, Ohio. Scientists have linked that incident with injection wells. Elsewhere, earthquakes have also seen an uptick in drilling areas. Oklahoma is now the second most seismically active area, after California. The oil and gas industry have argued that the link between injection wells and earthquakes is weak and needs more study before regulators halt drilling operations.

Eastern Ohio has seen a proliferation of drilling activity in the last few years. The industry has been able to rapidly increase production in this part of the state, pulling liquid rich natural gas and oil from the Marcellus and Utica Shales.

Scientists believe that there is evidence to support the idea that injection wells are contributing to the rise in earthquakes, rather than the �frack� job itself. However, the latest series of earthquakes occurred in an area without waste injection wells, but they were located near wells that are actively being drilled. This has raised questions about the connection between fracking and earthquakes.

After a well is fractured, the waste water is pushed back into the ground for storage in what are known as �injection wells.� What they are pushing back into the ground is the toxic chemicals they have used in the fracking, they cannot put this waste into rivers or dumps because it would poison the water table which it has done in America and made people ill.
We do not want this here, neither do we want the earthquakes nor the poison water, the government are pushing it because their pals are going to make a fortune and give them a seat on the board, all at the peoples expense, they think we are expendable

thomas davison · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 10:11 am Post subject:

Oklahoma Scientist to Test if Fracking Causes Earthquakes

Evidence of a link between earthquakes and fracking have cropped up in other places around the country before. Research on earthquakes in Ohio in particular has indicated a correlation. The research suggests that seismic activity is not necessarily linked to the fracking job, but to the injection wells where producers dispose of wastewater. In fact, research from the U.S. Geological Survey shows that fracking wastewater may have contributed to a six fold increase in earthquakes in the U.S. between 2000 and 2011.

The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association denies the link, and says the jury is still out. �We�re trying to make sure we understand what data the state needs in order to start making some determinations on cause and effect� said Chad Warmington, the trade association�s President. �We don�t want anybody to jump to conclusions.� The group doesn�t want Oklahoma regulators to halt drilling operations.

By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com