4.4 Earthquake Caused By Fracking

[Newell Steamer]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/08/magnitude-earthquake-northern-bc-caused-by-fracking/

“The threshold for damage is about magnitude 5. Nearly all fracking-induced earthquakes are small, typically less than magnitude 3. This does not mean, however, that a damaging magnitude 5 or 6 earthquake could not be caused by fracking in northeastern B.C.,” says Clague.

Wha, wha did fracking do??

 

[DrPizza]

Fracking can cause earthquakes. You weren't aware of this discovery? I'm not sure how they know this particular one was due to fracking activity; and I didn't bother trying to judge how credible the source is, though the knowledge that fracking can cause earthquakes is quite credible.

 

[davmat787]

Fracking can cause earthquakes. You weren't aware of this discovery? I'm not sure how they know this particular one was due to fracking activity; and I didn't bother trying to judge how credible the source is, though the knowledge that fracking can cause earthquakes is quite credible.

Yes it is. When I saw the data that correlates earthquake location and date to those of fracking digs for the state of Oklahoma i was quite stunned. While it doesn't equal causation the correlations were so consistent it could not be ignored.

 

[Homerboy]

Anything for a buck!

 

[Newell Steamer]

Fracking can cause earthquakes. You weren't aware of this discovery? I'm not sure how they know this particular one was due to fracking activity; and I didn't bother trying to judge how credible the source is, though the knowledge that fracking can cause earthquakes is quite credible.

I've created past threads like this.

But was told it's not a big deal, since the armchair seismologists of P&N (who also moonlight as Climate Scientists Experts) know better.

 

[Meghan54]

I've created past threads like this.

But was told it's not a big deal, since the armchair seismologists of P&N (who also moonlight as Climate Scientists Experts) know better.

That's because it's Oklahoma.....the land of steers and something else. Who cares?

 

[Joepublic2]

I've created past threads like this.

But was told it's not a big deal, since the armchair seismologists of P&N (who also moonlight as Climate Scientists Experts) know better.

I'm not an armchair anything. I do, however, know how to use google:

http://earthquake-scale.findthedata...during-a-4-Richter-Scale-magnitude-earthquake

An earthquake that measures 4 on the Richter Scale will result in the following: Felt by most people, slight damage. Some dishes and windows broken, some cracked plaster, trees disturbed

So yes, clearly a disaster of epic proportions.

If you want an angle to attack fracking the groundwater contamination issue is a much bigger deal.

That's because it's Oklahoma.....the land of steers and something else. Who cares?

Why do you hate native americans, Meghan?

 

[Exterous]

It would be more interesting to note how many per year are caused. People hear Earthquake and it triggers an immediate fear response but the Earth is still active and the US alone gets an average of 10.5 reported earthquakes per day most of which are in the 2-4 range. The number for the world as a whole is much higher as the USGS estimates ~4,000 earthquakes <2 richter scale per day

[url]http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php[/URL]

 

[Exterous]

I just learned the USGS records over 50 routine mine blasters per day in the US. While it appears most fall below a 1 on the Richter scale there are still some substantial numbers being reported from just mine blasts. For example March 2011 the USGS recorded 19 mining events over 2.7 with most being in the mid 3s and one reaching 4.0

December 2011 was a busy month with 29 blasts of 2.9 or higher and 4 higher than 3.3.

The average Richter reading of the 25 routine Jan 2009 explosions is 3.124

I had no idea that mining was causing so many earthquakes.

 

[Blue_Max]

Fracking can cause earthquakes. You weren't aware of this discovery? I'm not sure how they know this particular one was due to fracking activity; and I didn't bother trying to judge how credible the source is, though the knowledge that fracking can cause earthquakes is quite credible.

The evidence is certainly beginning to pile up... we've been doing so much of it we're seeing more and more of the negative impact from it. We're starting to have those little quakes around here as well - in addition to the noxious gases that also result.

I don't know a great deal on the subject so I'll have to learn more - though there's little we can do against Big Oil.

 

[Whiskey16]

...I didn't bother trying to judge how credible the source is..

CBC: Fracking triggered 2014 earthquake in northeastern B.C.

Quake one of world's largest ever triggered by hydraulic fracturing

B.C.'s Oil and Gas Commission confirmed the cause of the earthquake in an email statement to CBC this week, saying it was "triggered by fluid injection during hydraulic fracturing."

The 4.4-magnitude quake was felt in Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in August 2014. It was preceded by a 3.8-magnitude earthquake in late July, also caused by fracking.

B.C.'s Oil and Gas Commission told CBC that several companies were doing hydraulic fracturing in the area at the time, and several more were disposing of fracking waste.

But the commission says it was Progress Energy's operations that were "associated with triggering this event."

DrPizza, rather than expressing doubt in the validity of the finding, an easy search will return the 'credibility of the source' is to be the provincial Crown Corporation for the oversight of such industry:

About Us:

The BC Oil and Gas Commission (Commission) is an independent, single-window regulatory agency with responsibilities for overseeing oil and gas operations in British Columbia, including exploration, development, pipeline transportation and reclamation.

The Commission was created as a Crown Corporation through the enactment of the Oil and Gas Commission Act. In October 2010, the Commission transitioned to the Oil and Gas Activities Act. This regulatory model is designed to provide a streamlined one-stop regulatory agency. Regulatory responsibility is delegated to the Commission through the Oil and Gas Activities Act and includes specified enactments under the Forest Act, Heritage Conservation Act, Land Act, Environmental Management Act, and Water Act. The cost of operating the Commission is funded through the application of industrial fees and levies on a cost recovery basis.

The fall out from that 2014 event:

Since the 2014 earthquake, Progress Energy has been ordered to reduce the volume of fracking fluid being used, and the company has complied, according to the commission.

As well, new seismic equipment has been set up in the area. No new earthquakes have been detected in the immediate area.

Last week, Progress Energy temporarily shut down another fracking site after a 4.6-magnitude earthquake hit just three kilometres away.

..

In January, Alberta's energy regulator reported fracking likely caused a 4.4-magnitude earthquake in the northern town of Fox Creek. Scientists told CBC at the time the quake was the largest in the world ever caused by fracking.

 

[MongGrel]

I'm still waiting to see when that Volcano in Yellowstone or that area break lose.

Boom.

 

[TheGardener]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/08/magnitude-earthquake-northern-bc-caused-by-fracking/



Wha, wha did fracking do??

Or... George Bush did it!

 

[IGBT]

no way..it was caused by the climate falling.

 

[WHAMPOM]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/08/magnitude-earthquake-northern-bc-caused-by-fracking/



Wha, wha did fracking do??

Now we know why Krypton blew up.

 

[kage69]

I remember some years ago when the practice really started taking off, the increase in production had a "Merica, fuck yeah" effect on a lot people... people who mocked and jeered at the mention of earthquakes. The standard 'ecokooks, treehuggers' tripe was immediately rolled out to those concerned about the physics of pumping huge quantities of fluids deep under ground.


The "business-first" idiots were wrong. Again. And just like so many times before, the rest of us get to deal with the consequences. Earthquakes, flammable tap water, good thing it's all just minor stuff, right? I mean we wouldn't the energy industry to be inconvenienced by having to use safe, vetted technology in their nonnegotiable entitlement to hunt profits no matter what.

Case in point, the sorry ass state government of Oklahoma. Back earlier this spring, http://wichita.ogs.ou.edu/documents/OGS_Statement-Earthquakes-4-21-15.pdf was released. In a nutshell, it's scientific analysis concluding oil and gas waste water disposal wells were/are causing earthquakes. A lot of earthquakes.

Within 24hrs of it coming out (!!), the Banana republicans in Oklahoma get a bill passed that prohibits all towns and cities from having any say in gas and well drilling. Freedumb! Woooo!!

Oklahoma used to see 1 or 2 quakes a year - now that they're fracking everywhere they get 1-2 a day. Idiots.

 

[Exterous]

now that they're fracking everywhere they get 1-2 a day.

Honest question: Why do we care about daily fracking earthquakes while no one seems to care about the daily mining earthquakes?

 

[kage69]

Honest question: Why do we care about daily fracking earthquakes while no one seems to care about the daily mining earthquakes?

Cool, I like honest questions.

Severity? Scale? Serious implications for water and air safety? The industry's efforts to disenfranchise and marginalize their responsibilities regarding public safety and environmental responsibility?

The comparison strikes me as a little odd come to think of it, seeing as how only the earthquake portion seems to be taken into consideration. Blasting effects aren't persistent like the presence of vast quantities of mystery fluid pumped below at great pressure. The two examples have different geological physics at play. I think it's a false premise built on birds of a different feather, more than just an issue of public perception. Also, people don't usually live right next to mining operations. The same cannot be said of fracking operations so I guess add "Proximity" to the list I started off with.

Did you know NC made it illegal to disclose the chemicals used in hydrolic fracking? The industry's lobby has moved mountains lately to shield it from profit killing environmental and legal oversight, even in states just getting into it. I think using the legal code to punish those who would reveal the chemical cocktail that these companies would use also probably helps stoke fears at some level too.

 

[Murloc]

in my country they shut down an exploration drilling to see if they could get warm water by pumping water below earth because an earthquake happened.

 

[Exterous]

Severity? Scale?

Looking at the USGS data the severity and scale seem nearly identical in terms of richter scale readings. Mining gets into the 4 range

Serious implications for water and air safety?

This seems to be moving slightly beyond the earthquake question and into environmental safety. Since you want to expand this discussion beyond the original earthquakes question and into a more general 'environmental impacts' than it would make sense to look at the fracking process as a whole in comparison with the mining process as a whole. It is well known that mining and related explosions can release arsenic, cadmium, sulfuric acid and other heavy metals and turn waters heavily acidic killing local marine life. Currently there appear to be more mining related incidents of water toxification per year than fracking related

As for air safety explosions are not typically all that air quality friendly. Mining in general is long associated with a plethora of various air quality concerns

The industry's efforts to disenfranchise and marginalize their responsibilities regarding public safety and environmental responsibility?

As opposed to the mining industry?

20 specific mineral processing wastes (see side bar below) are categorized by EPA as "special wastes" and have been exempted by the Mining Waste Exclusion from federal hazardous waste regulations under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/special/mining/

The comparison strikes me as a little odd come to think of it, seeing as how only the earthquake portion seems to be taken into consideration.

Why is it odd? The OP made this thread about earthquakes so I was responding to earthquakes. Is staying on topic odd to you?

Blasting effects aren't persistent like the presence of vast quantities of mystery fluid pumped below at great pressure.

Once we expand the scope to general environmental impacts caused by mining and fracking there are some VERY serious long term implications that go along with mining that are incredibly persistent.

I am not trying to say that fracking is super safe or that because mining does it fracking should - just that the more I look into it it seems odd that fracking is a super scary method that gets all the headlines while all the various adverse effects of mining seem to go unnoticed despite the many similarities. Earthquakes are one of those areas. I knew fracking caused earthquakes but I had no idea how few in regards to the daily number of earthquakes and I had no idea mining caused so many - certainly not the 50 mining earthquakes per day that the USGS notices