Study Confirms Connection Between Injection Wells and Earthquakes
A new study by Cliff Frohlich, senior research scientist at the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin, confirms what previous reports have already stated regarding deep injection wells being a likely catalyst for increased seismic activity when located near existing faults.
Bloomberg was quick to report that the new study by Frohlich was evidence that "[f]racking may cause more earthquakes than initially thought." That does not appear to be what the study found, however. Fracking and wastewater disposal into injection wells are not the same thing.
Here is an excerpt of how The Raw Story reported on this new study:
Meanwhile, Bloomberg chose to report this way (italics ours):
The Huffington Post story on this featured a headline that says: Fracking-Earthquake Connection Suggested In New Study. However, the actual content says (italics ours):
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said this about the study (italics ours):
And the best source for what the findings of the study actually mean would be the University of Texas at Austin itself. Here is what their article on the report says:
So, this study does actually focus on injection wells and their propensity to stimulate seismic activity, not on the fracking process itself. Some will say that the distinction between the two processes is simply splitting hairs, but the industry will no doubt point out that it is significant to note the difference - as well as the fact that media outlets which choose to report that this study proves that fracking causes earthquakes are either irresponsible or biased.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Bloomberg was quick to report that the new study by Frohlich was evidence that "[f]racking may cause more earthquakes than initially thought." That does not appear to be what the study found, however. Fracking and wastewater disposal into injection wells are not the same thing.
Here is an excerpt of how The Raw Story reported on this new study:
Read the rest of that article here.Wastewater injection wells that accompany natural gas “fracking” sties are linked to an increase in the probability of earthquakes, according to a University of Texas study published this week in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Cliff Frohlich, the University of Texas researcher who conducted the study, used seismic data from the Barnett Shale region of Texas taken between November 2009 and September 2011. He found that while injection wells were typically near the site of small quakes, they did not always cause tremors, leading Frohlich to speculate that injection wells near existing faults were more likely to cause seismic activity. Most of the quakes registered for the study were so light that they could not be felt on the surface.The study is just one of several that have warned about the possibility of inducing seismic activity by injecting hundreds of thousands of gallons of water underground in a short period of time. The National Research Council said earlier this year that while the risks posed by fracking itself are rather low, wastewater injection wells, along with the carbon capture and storage techniques typically used with “clean coal,” do in fact pose a heightened risk of earthquakes.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg chose to report this way (italics ours):
Read the rest of that article here. Is Bloomberg taking the study out of context by assigning the blame for the earthquakes to the fracking process, or is The Raw Story undercooking the implications of Frohlich's report? Bloomberg does not even mention injection wells in those first three paragraphs of their article.Fracking may cause more earthquakes than initially thought, according to an article in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.At least 59 “small-magnitude” earthquakes of 1.4 to 2.5 magnitude occurred over a two-year period ending in September in the Barnett Shale region of Texas that were never reported by the National Earthquake Information Center, said Cliff Frohlich, a senior research scientist at the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin.Many of those earthquakes happen when fluids are injected into the ground to release natural gas, a process called hydraulic fracturing that may also relieve the friction between tectonic plates, said Frohlich, who wrote the article. The U.S. Geological Survey typically collects data for seismic events at least 3.0 in magnitude.
The Huffington Post story on this featured a headline that says: Fracking-Earthquake Connection Suggested In New Study. However, the actual content says (italics ours):
Frohlich identified the epicenters for 67 earthquakes — more than eight times as many as reported by the National Earthquake Information Center — with magnitudes of 3.0 or less. Most were located within a few miles of one or more injection wells, suggesting injection-triggered quakes might be more common than thought.So, the actual comment on the report is that the earthquakes occurred near injection wells, not fracking sites as the headline would indicate. Click here to view the rest of the Huffington Post article.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said this about the study (italics ours):
Read that article here.Minor earthquakes have occurred far more frequently in the Barnett Shale than previously reported, and most took place near high-volume injection wells, according to a University of Texas study of local seismic activity.The study, released Monday by Cliff Frohlich, senior research scientist at UT's Institute for Geophysics, is the latest academic effort to determine whether any aspect of natural gas drilling causes earthquakes.Frohlich's report doesn't find any direct link between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes. But it adds to concerns that injection wells, where wastewater from fracking and production is pumped back into the ground, can cause increased seismic activity.
And the best source for what the findings of the study actually mean would be the University of Texas at Austin itself. Here is what their article on the report says:
And further (again, italics ours):Most earthquakes in the Barnett Shale region of North Texas occur within a few miles of one or more injection wells used to dispose of wastes associated with petroleum production such as hydraulic fracturing fluids, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin. None of the quakes identified in the two-year study were strong enough to pose a danger to the public.The study by Cliff Frohlich, senior research scientist at the university’s Institute for Geophysics, appears this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."You can't prove that any one earthquake was caused by an injection well," says Frohlich. "But it's obvious that wells are enhancing the probability that earthquakes will occur."
Hydraulic fracturing is an industrial process in which water and various chemicals are pumped deep underground in order to fracture rock, allowing oil or gas to more easily flow to a well. As petroleum is produced at the surface, most hydraulic fracturing fluids return to the surface too. Frohlich is careful to point out that he did not evaluate the possible correlation of earthquakes with the actual hydraulic fracturing process, but rather the effects of disposing of fracturing fluids and other wastes in these injection wells.Read the rest of that article here.
So, this study does actually focus on injection wells and their propensity to stimulate seismic activity, not on the fracking process itself. Some will say that the distinction between the two processes is simply splitting hairs, but the industry will no doubt point out that it is significant to note the difference - as well as the fact that media outlets which choose to report that this study proves that fracking causes earthquakes are either irresponsible or biased.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!
Follow @EnergyNewsBlog
