The 5.0 magnitude earthquake is tied for the sixth strongest in state history. Scientists have warned for years that increased fracking in West Texas is causing higher earthquake activity.
The problem is any oil and gas extraction. They all produce water that needs disposal, so anywhere you’re pulling oil out of the ground this is gonna be a problem (unless you’re in the middle of the ocean I guess).
Really depends on the reservoir and the amount of connate water. It’s not near as bad in South Texas around the eagle Ford just due to less water. The Delaware basin is a water field that makes some oil and gas too…
fracking related?
No, it’s from disposal of the water that’s produced alongside the oil. When you inject water into deep formations, it causes earthquakes.
That’s a roundabout way of saying “yes, fracking”.
You wouldn’t need to dispose of the water this way if you weren’t fracking in the first place.
The problem is any oil and gas extraction. They all produce water that needs disposal, so anywhere you’re pulling oil out of the ground this is gonna be a problem (unless you’re in the middle of the ocean I guess).
Really depends on the reservoir and the amount of connate water. It’s not near as bad in South Texas around the eagle Ford just due to less water. The Delaware basin is a water field that makes some oil and gas too…