As reported in the Wall Street Journal, it may have been a Chesapeake Energy disposal that caused the earthquakes.
Chesapeake said it had shut down two disposal wells “as a precautionary measure.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth area has experienced more than a dozen small quakes since last October, though there have been no reports of significant damage or injury. The area lies at the heart of the Barnett Shale, a huge natural-gas field where thousands of wells have been drilled in recent years. Many locals suspect a connection, especially because gas production in the area involves injecting water into the ground at high pressure to crack open the gas-bearing rock, a process known as “hydraulic fracturing.”
SMU researchers found a “possible correlation” between the quakes and a salt water disposal well operated by Chesapeake on the southern end of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The airport sits atop a fault line.
Wastewater Disposal Well May Have Caused Texas Earthquakes
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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Duh. It's clear to me that this is overwhelmingly the likely cause, and all drilling should be suspended unless it can be established that it is NOT the cause. They've had enough freedom to behave as irresponsibly as they want. Time to regulate them in the public interest.