LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Two natural gas companies have agreed to temporarily suspend use of injection wells at the central Arkansas site where earthquakes keep occurring.
Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy and Clarita Operating of Little Rock told the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission on Friday that they have halted operation of the wells near Greenbrier and Guy pending the panel's next regular meeting on March 29.
The commission says there is likely a link between the injection wells and the repeated earthquakes in the area. On Sunday, a magnitude 4.7 quake rocked the area, the strongest Arkansas earthquake in 35 years.
The area of northern Faulkner County has had more than 800 earthquakes in the last six months.
The companies use the high-pressure wells to dispose of waste water from natural gas drilling.
Comments (19)
Add commentA good step
I'm glad these companies have agreed to postpone injection operations for the next few weeks. Hopefully the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes will decrease and we'll know the cause.
"Hopefully the frequency and
"Hopefully the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes will decrease and we'll know the cause."
I thought the snow stopped the earthquakes?? I believe someone posted that earlier this week.
Snow
Only if it caused the companies to quit injecting wastewater into the fault during the snow days.
Cause
"Hopefully the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes will decrease and we'll know the cause."
If the injection wells are the cause, wouldn't the earthquakes stop?
What frequency and magnitude is the standard we should be shooting for?
ELEVEN 11
What frequency and magnitude is the standard we should be shooting for?
But this one goes to 11
it's nice when people twist
it's nice when people twist the words of others for a good laugh. or perhaps you didn't understand the point they were trying to convey?
They implied that the earthquakes stopped on the days we had snow, not simply because of the snow, but because they were not able to drill on those days.
ilovelucy09
Please read my disclaimer.
But why would they stop given
But why would they stop given our state geologists have already said there was no correlation? And we all know our government would never lie to us; and that us 'conspiracy folks' were simply wrong (at least according to a few bloggers).
Given the history of our government/oil and gas companies, the correlation between the drilling and the earthquakes must be overwhelming.
"If the injection wells are the cause, wouldn't the earthquakes stop?"
It often takes a lot longer for the affect to stop...if it's going to stop.
Does anyone know if we (Conway) are still able to buy earthquake insurance for our homes?
@Dogmeat
"'Hopefully the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes will decrease and we'll know the cause.'
If the injection wells are the cause, wouldn't the earthquakes stop?
What frequency and magnitude is the standard we should be shooting for?"
If the injection wells are the cause and they have temporarily haulted their use then I wouldn't expect the earthquakes to come to an immediate hault. There is still water down there that wasn't there before. Damage has already been done, so to speak, and the ground will probably still continue to "adjust". If they are the cause and no more water is being injected then I would figure that the number of earthquakes and the magnitude of them would not continue to increase week-to-week. I am anxious to see how things will go the next few weeks.
Headline and content do not match, more questions.
The headline says "to shut down" the content says "have shut down". Have the wells been shut down or not? If not, when will they be shut down. When they are shut down, will they be capped?
Was there any investigation on the damage already done? Will there be long-term quakes from the damage already done? There was another quake at about 9AM this morning.