9 Oil And Gas Wastewater Wells Shut Down To Mitigate Earthquake Risk

The state is shutting down oil and gas wastewater wells.

These wells keep this water away from groundwater. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission said oil and gas wastewater wells can cause earthquake activity. They said they shut nine wells down as a precaution while scientists figure out the cause. “The shutdowns are indefinite,” said Matt Skinner, a spokesman with the OCC. 

Skinner said the state acted because these nine wells sit within ten miles of the epicenter of Friday night’s 5.1 magnitude earthquake. These wells dispose of oil and gas wastewater and pump this wastewater deep into the ground. “It's something that needs to be handled quite carefully,” Skinner said. 

Skinner said this water carries toxic chlorides. “This is saltwater that would come out in concentrations of chloride so great that it would kill grass on contact,” Skinner said. “The whole idea of disposal of oil and gas wastewater is to put it where it can’t pose a threat to our drinking water."

However, in 2011, the state saw an increase in earthquake activity. Researchers discovered these disposal practices can produce earthquakes. “We have taken actions in terms of volume cutbacks and well shutdowns,” Skinner said. “We are not so much concerned with cause as we are risk analysis.” 

Scientists still don’t know the cause of Friday’s earthquake – but they want to decrease the probability of another shake-up in Oklahoma. Skinner said limiting wastewater well activity has helped in the past. “We have been able to see the earthquake rate – 4.0 magnitude and higher – drop by ninety-eight percent since its peak in 2015,” Skinner said. 

The action to shut down wells is a starting point. Skinner said there could be more decisions made to limit risk as the state learns more about this earthquake. 

The 4.4 magnitude earthquake near Arcadia last month happened near a fault line. Officials said those fault lines are active.