Disposal well is likely cause of Ohio earthquakes

Ohio state regulators have reached the end of an investigation into the cause of recent earthquakes in the region. The most likely culprit seems to have been a disposal well used to remove brine (a by-product of fracking). The investigators stated that the disposal well “intersected an unmapped fault in a near-failure state of stress causing movement along that fault.”

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources released a report that said, “Geologists believe induced seismic activity is extremely rare, but it can occur with the confluence of a series of specific circumstances.” It continued, “After investigating all available geological information and well activity data, regulators and geologists found a number of co-occuring circumstances strongly indicating the Youngstown area earthquakes were induced.”

Though the findings of the report will doubtlessly raise further concerns over the safety of fracking, it is important to notethat it is believed that the earthquakes were caused, not by the process of fracking itself, but by the removal of by-products.

New rules due to be put in place by Ohio’s oil and gas regulators will require a review of geologic data, a ban on disposal wells in certain areas and for operations in the Precambrian basement rock to be halted and plugged with cement.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/13032012/disposal_well_likely_cause_of_ohio_earthquakes/