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Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview [September 30, 2016]
"Although only a small fraction of U.S. wastewater disposal wells appears to be problematic for causing damaging earthquakes, the potential for injection-related earthquakes has raised an array of issues and has affected oil and gas wastewater disposal in some areas. In response to induced seismicity concerns, both EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and state work groups have issued recommendations for best practices to minimize and manage such risks. Several states have increased regulation and oversight of Class II disposal wells. Congress may be interested in oversight of EPA's UIC [Underground Injection Control] Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview Congressional Research Service program or in federally sponsored research on the relationship between energy development activities and induced seismicity."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin); Tiemann, Mary
2016-09-30
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Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview [May 12, 2015]
"The development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources using horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing has created new demand for wastewater disposal wells that inject waste fluids into deep geologic strata. Deep-well injection has long been the environmentally preferred method for managing produced brine and other wastewater associated with oil and gas production. However, an increasing concern in the United States is that injection of these fluids may be responsible for increasing rates of seismic activity. The number of earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater in the central and eastern United States has increased dramatically since about 2009 from an average of approximately 20 per year between 1970 and 2000 to over 100 per year in the period 2010-2013. Some of these earthquakes may be felt at the surface. […] The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) program under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulates the subsurface injection of fluids to protect underground drinking water sources. EPA has issued regulations for six classes of injection wells, including Class II wells used for oil and gas wastewater disposal and enhanced recovery. Most oil and gas states administer the Class II program. Although the SDWA does not address seismicity, EPA rules for certain well classes require evaluation of seismic risk. Such requirements do not apply to Class II wells; however, EPA has developed a framework for evaluating seismic risk when reviewing Class II permit applications in states where EPA administers this program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin); Tiemann, Mary
2015-05-12
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Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview [January 8, 2015]
"The development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has created new demand for wastewater disposal wells that inject waste fluids into deep geologic strata. An increasing concern in the United States is that injection of these fluids may be responsible for increasing rates of seismic activity. The number of earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater in the central and eastern United States has increased dramatically since about 2009, from an average of approximately 20 per year between 1970 and 2000 to over 100 per year in the period 2010-2013. Some of these earthquakes may be felt at the surface. For example, 20 earthquakes of magnitudes 4.0 to 4.8 have struck central Oklahoma since 2009. The largest earthquake in Oklahoma history (magnitude 5.6) occurred on November 5, 2011, near Prague, causing damage to several structures nearby. Central and northern Oklahoma were seismically active regions before the recent increase in the volume of waste fluid injection through deep wells. However, the recent earthquake swarm does not seem to be due to typical, random, changes in the rate of seismicity, according to the U.S. Geological Survey."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin); Tiemann, Mary
2015-01-08
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Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview [December 22, 2014]
"Despite increasing evidence linking some deep-well disposal activities with human-induced earthquakes, only a small fraction of the more than 30,000 U.S. wastewater disposal wells appears to be associated with damaging earthquakes. The potential for damaging earthquakes caused by hydraulic fracturing itself, as opposed to deepwell injection of wastewater from oil and gas activities, appears to be much smaller. Hydraulic fracturing intentionally creates fractures in rocks, and induces microseismicity, mostly of less than magnitude 1.0, too small to feel or cause damage. In a few cases, however, fracking has led directly to earthquakes larger than magnitude 2.0, including at sites in Oklahoma, Ohio, England, and Canada. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Underground Injection Control (UIC) program under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulates the subsurface injection of fluids to prevent endangerment of drinking water sources. EPA has established regulations for six classes of injection wells, including Class II wells used for the injection of fluids for enhanced oil and gas recovery and wastewater disposal. Most oil and gas states administer the UIC Class II program. The SDWA does not address seismicity, although EPA regulations for certain classes of injection wells require some evaluation of seismic risk. Such requirements do not apply to Class II wells; however, EPA has developed a framework for evaluating seismic risk when reviewing Class II permit applications in states where EPA administers this program. How Congress shapes EPA or other agency efforts to address and possibly mitigate human-caused earthquakes may be an issue in the 114th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin); Tiemann, Mary
2014-12-22
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